Tammy On Tuesday – An Uncluttered Heart

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When Mark and I moved into our home 7 years ago, we decided to have a small craft/sewing room built off of my bedroom.  Over the years, it’s interesting to see what has accumulated there:  a gift bag of Christmas receipts from 2011, flower bulbs (this is a mystery to me), torn clothes in need of a patch or repair, all of my jewelry, tons of fabric remnants, empty boxes, old costumes, broken toys, unfinished kids crafts, my scarves, pillow stuffing, small tools from the garage. Believe it or not, I found some baby items I never used when the kids were born. I could go on and on. There were a ton of things piling up in the room that just didn’t belong there.  The room that had once been very functional and full of creative life had become an impractical storage room of riffraff.

Needless to say, over the past several months, as I’ve plopped into bed, I’ve looked over at my sewing room and felt the clutter really getting to me.  I kept thinking to myself, “One of these days, I have gotta get that room cleaned up and get rid of all the mess!”    It’s been easy to keep pushing the job off because it’s a place most people never see.  The clutter really only bothers me and probably Mark at times.

Yesterday, I decided I would tackle the job.  During the process, I removed 3 whole bags of garbage and found a ton of useful things under the clutter that I’d forgotten I had.  With VBS coming up I was excited to find all kinds of materials and items I could use for the skit costumes.  I went through my boxes of jewelry and organized a system where I can see what I have instead of picking up the same earrings and necklace every day and putting them on.  I found some real treasures in my jewelry box that I hadn’t worn in a very long while.

So maybe there’s someone asking, “What made you cave and finally tackle that room?” In case you were wondering…it was my cluttered heart.  I started my day yesterday as usual.  I came down stairs to my place on the couch, spent some quiet time with God – reading my Bible and praying.  But I’ve been struggling.  I would say it’s been almost a week now.  I’ve felt burdened down and overwhelmed with too many thoughts and emotions.  Normally, some time in God’s Word and prayer help me to regain perspective and let my anxieties go.  But over the past couple of days, I haven’t been able to shake this heavy feeling of anxiety and depression.  Examining my heart yesterday morning was a lot like looking around the sewing room.  I didn’t know where to begin to unclutter all that concerned me and find some peace and clarity.

After my quiet time, I decided I needed to get moving.  It seemed like a project would be a good way to get my mind off the nagging heaviness in my heart.  As I spent time cleaning up my sewing room, I was able to think and pray.  And while I did, God brought a lot of truths to my mind.

Psalm 139: 23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
    and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

These verses became prayers.  I so wanted the relief of a peaceful heart and mind.

With God’s help, while I cleaned the sewing room, I was at the same time, cleaning up my heart.  He revealed unnecessary worries, bad attitudes, unforgiveness, pride and other feelings cluttering my heart and keeping me from enjoying feelings of peace and joy.  But it wasn’t enough to acknowledge them, I needed to remove them. I had to make the choice of removing thoughts from my mind that didn’t belong.

Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.     2 Corinthians 10:5b

As the day went on, the room took on new purpose and my heart began to feel lighter too.  I confessed thoughts that grieved The Lord and burdened me down.  I prayed and surrendered anything that was worrying me over to God and I began to feel those burdens lift as well.

Something I realized along the way was that, like my sewing room, a lot of what was cluttering my heart was not purposefully put there.  So many things in my sewing room were dropped there “temporarily” or “thoughtlessly”.  It’s the same with my heart.  Much of what needed to go were feelings that hadn’t really been examined or considered.  They were just added to the pile.

I became intentional. With the clutter removed, I began to see there were treasures laying underneath all along.  I found so many things in my sewing room that I’d put there for safe keeping.  Finding them again was like opening a new gift.
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It’s the same with my heart.  Maybe you’re feeling as though there’s nothing within your heart but a big cluttered mess. Nothing of value, only troubles.  With God’s help, I’ve been able to see once again that the clutter was hiding treasures I’d simply been unable to enjoy because I’d forgotten they are there.  Maybe you need to become intentional.  Clear out the clutter.  Become purposeful with the things that fill your heart.  It’s been a great reminder for me.

Philippians 4:8 says, 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Today, my prayer is that you’ll be able to find purpose and perhaps let go of some unnecessary junk…after all, an uncluttered sewing room is great but there’s nothing like an uncluttered heart!

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.  Prov 4:23