defining moments

on mondays and thursdays i work with a hoarder to try and clean up the apartment. my client hoards empty soda cans and napkins, as well as the typical clothes, accessories, knickknacks, magazines, mementos, etc.

yesterday, my client was willing to dump 7 boxes of photographs, but would not release 7 napkins. it made perfect sense in my client's mind to keep the napkins but release the pictures. the napkins of past meals enjoyed held more value for my client than the photos of family and friends. it made me sad that my client was keeping trash instead of captured moments in time. but it got me thinking - if my heart were an apartment, what would people see?

would they see a mess? would they see the clutter of a hoarder? would they see that because of clutter, i can not find the things that mean the most? would they see that i threw out the important things?

how often do i release the valuable things, but keep the trash?

how often do i mistake the trash for something important? why do i get upset about missing 60 seconds of t.v. when my child (who is supposed to be in bed) is hollering that they need me? why do i get irritated with my husband when i have to repeat myself? these things are not important and yet i treat them as if an inconvenience is more valuable than the people i love.

it helps to be able to recognize what is trash and what is meaningful. trash is all things that don't honor and glorify God's love for us. meaningful is what God finds lovely, true, right, excellent, worthy, virtuous. i like a clean, clutter-free house... and i want a pure, holy heart. i don't need 7 boxes of photographs to recall what God's love is, but i won't release them to make room for garbage/napkins. from now on, trash is not welcome in my heart. there is only room for meaning.


**what trash do you hoard in your heart? what are you willing to let go of?