Happy Spring! I saw many posts yesterday about it being the first day of Spring (though I know that may vary depending on the part of the world you’re in). I think Ireland may be slightly confused because we greeted this morning with snow and hail showers…

Whatever the weather, though, it is time for a new season for many. I am doing some work this week to clear out excess stuff I have acquired during my time living here. I wrote a blog post back in January about clearing out old stuff to make room for new things God wants to do. (You can find that here.)

I feel like I am living that at a deeper level now. Much of my life is up in the air, and it seems the winds of change are beginning to blow. Part of the reason for my current work of clearing out excess stuff is uncertainty about where I will live in two weeks and whether I will still be allowed to call this place my home. I have faith that even if I have to leave for a time, this is still my home and I will be able to stay (or at least return here very soon), but I’m also listening to the “truth side” of me and making preparations in case that changes in the future.

The truth is, no matter where I am in two weeks, it is time to make room. My small flat has gotten crowded with stuff I don’t need, and there are some seasons where it is time to clear out what I don’t need. It is far too easy to accumulate excess, to hold onto things because I just might need them one day – despite the fact I haven’t needed them in the last three years.

As I think about the possibility (however unlikely it feels) that this clearing out is the beginning of a purge of my belongings down to what would fit in a suitcase if I have to leave, I recognize that some things would be painful to let go of. There are things I hold closely because of their connection to people I love or memories I treasure. It is one thing to donate a shirt I never wear to a charity shop. It would be far more difficult to part with items that once belonged to someone important to me, and yet some of those items would also need to go if I had to completely clear my flat.

It is amazing how often the physical realm mirrors the spiritual realm. As I am looking through my wardrobe and dresser deciding what is useful and what is not, I find myself examining my life too. What do I have in my life that is useful to God? What is cluttering my thoughts or life and hindering what God wants to do? What do I need to get rid of? Are there things in my life I hold onto too tightly because it would be painful to let go?

Are there things in your life that are cluttering it or hindering God’s best for you? Is it time to do some spring cleaning?