The Closet

I was texting with a friend, and she talked about hiding things in the closet and how we have a tendency to hide things we don’t like.

The timing of this convo was interesting because I had just cleaned out my actual closet and made it my Prayer Closet again.

I had to purge a lot of stuff—let’s just say several bags of clothes and shoes were donated. I had to create space for my chair and my Bible and books. And to do that, I had to get rid of things I don’t need, don’t wear, or just downright don’t like.

Sometimes our souls get a little grimy and overstuffed as well. We put hurts and wounds, anger, and situations from our past in there, until we don’t have any more room.

Do you have a soul closet where you like to stuff down hurts or anger or situations from your past that you don’t want to think about, much less deal with?

Yeah, me either.

Just kidding. We all have them. Some of us are better at cleaning and organizing than others. I find I’m at my best cleaning when I’m procrastinating something else.

I tend to do that with matters of the heart as well. I let things pile up, thinking, I’ll get to that when I can. Time passes, I add a few more things here and there. A little bit more time and I’ve managed to create a Leaning Tower of Feelings that threatens to topple over at the slightest breeze.

So what’s the answer?

Seriously, what’s the answer? Someone tell me, because I can’t seem to get a handle on all the things right now. I have my piles and pockets and closets both in my house and my heart.

I guess I really just need to pick something and deal.

One step at a time. One mess at a time.

I think I need to give myself a lot of grace during this process. Maybe even the same grace I extend to others.

I don’t have many answers to the problem of the messy closet—either kind. But I know if I start small and start right now, I will make progress.

And sometimes that’s what counts.