Things I Found While Cleaning Today...

I haven't cleaned our bedroom in, oh, say for-dash-ever. I mean other than just making the bed and picking up laundry (sometimes.) There are three of us camped out in there right now as Samuel is still sleeping next to our bed--oh, okay, truth be told he still sleeps IN the bed with us a couple nights a week! Anyway, it's amazing what you find whilst cleaning and de-cluttering:

Dust bunnies the size of my fist (all the way under the bed having a big party together)
Miscellaneous socks under the bed, dressers and at the bottom of the closet.
Lost shoes.
A library book I repeatedly assured the librarian over the phone had been returned ages ago (I had to call and apologize and return the book pronto!)
Chapstick
Receipts
My journal
Expired coupons
Unopened mail (nothing serious, thankfully!)
Photos
A piece of jewelry I've been hunting for since we returned from Christmas vacation (I was certain it had been lost on the trip!)
3 pacifiers in need of a trip through the dishwasher
Misc. pony tail holders, barrettes, clips, and headbands


It was quite the treasure trove of sorts, but mostly embarrassing because I've neglected our poor bedroom for so long. Now, there are clean, fresh sheets, dusted furniture, floors that have been swept and mopped, tidy bookshelves, and a lovely candle glowing and scenting the room. I can't wait to go to bed! I will feel like a queen...

Sometimes our hearts get this way, too, don't they? We are so busy as wives and moms that we forget to clean our own hearts regularly. We accumulate things that don't belong there: fear, guilt, pride, resentment, prejudice....the list could go on. That's why a daily time with God is important (I'm remembering!) It isn't about "feeling" something special. It's about spending time with Someone special: Jesus Christ! Many mornings, I've not felt particularly connected to God, but through the day, my mind recalls His Word or I see answer to my prayers--even the half-hearted ones. It develops intimacy with God. It helps frame my day. It gives me the correct lens to see things as He does.

So, spend some time today, tomorrow, every day for that matter in the Word. Even if you don't feel like it. Let God begin to clean your heart and fill it with His love.

Thank You, Lord, for a clean bedroom and the opportunity to have a clean heart whenever I choose. Thanks for reminding me that it really is my choice and that You are always willing to oblige. In Jesus' Name, Amen.