More than Just Spring Cleaning
Just before Lent this year, I happened upon the idea of removing one item from your closet each day throughout the 40 days of Lent. At the end of the 40 day period, one would have 40 items to donate to a local charity, etc. I decided to try this idea of removing items from the closet. First of all, I knew that I had an overabundance of the inventory of clothing and accessories in my closet. Secondly, I haven't had the best track record of sticking to a plan of giving up something for a certain period of time and lastly, I wanted to do some spring cleaning.
True confessions though, this cleaning was a much more difficult task than I thought it would be. Purging the many items of clothing and accessories was something that I felt very strongly about taking on so I forged ahead. During the process of cleaning out my closet, I had to ask myself these questions:
Do I have a duplicate item that will serve the same purpose?
Do I need both?
Do I feel good in it?
Is it comfortable and easy to care for?
Does it go with other clothes and/or accessories in my closet?
Is it something that I feel confident in wearing?
Does it reflect my own personal style? (“Is it me?”)
While the space in my closet grew, I noticed a growth inside of me as well. As difficult as it was for me to remove an item of clothing from my closet each day, it seemed as though somehow I was also removing some negative labels and emotions from my past. Perhaps the questions I had asked myself earlier, needed to be rephrased.
Could that beautiful blouse I bought and never wore be hanging in my closet because I thought it would make me feel better about myself?
Why did I buy it in the first place? Was it to impress someone?
When I first took on this project of cleaning my closet, it felt like I was giving up something. Now, as I move forward with much more space in my closet, I don't feel as if I gave anything up, in fact, I feel like I have gained considerably. Who knew that a little spring cleaning could do so much to help me learn more and spiritually mature? God did, He knew just what I needed to do during this season of Lent. And He always knows what we need in any season of life.
Spring cleaning now means something deeper to me than just a mere task. During this time of clearing the clutter, I discovered that it can be more meaningful if we can view the time spent cleaning as time spent cleaning something far greater than anything outside of ourselves. We can not only clean our homes but cleanse our souls as well!