Even though I have complained a lot about the snow this winter, I must admit that there is something nice about a fresh covering of clean, white snow. It reminds me of Psalm 51: 7, “Cleanse me with hyssop(a plant with purifying properties), and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”
Each year, for about 5-6 years now, I have been reading through the Bible using a schedule that takes me through the whole Bible one time and the New Testament and Psalms twice. I read a chapter or two from four different sections of Scripture. February and March take through the book of Job. I am not sure that I would read Job regularly if it was not on my yearly schedule. While it has been a difficult book to understand, each year I am getting a little more out of it. It reminds me clearly “what not to say” to a person who is suffering. Certainly our minor suffering with all the snow this winter is nothing compared to the suffering Job went through.
The Season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on March 9. Now is the time to plan for a Lenten Discipline. I know that Lenten disciplines do not get me any brownie points with God or put me on a higher spiritual plain, but I have found that they help me to know who God is and how much dependence I place on stuff and certain habits that are not the most helpful. I haven’t quite decided what I plan to do this year. I am challenged by “40 bags in 40 days” that I found on the website, thepracticaldisciple.com which has lots of ideas for Lenten Disciplines. Let me know what Lenten Discipline you will be choosing so we can pray for one another.
Simplify your life-- 40 bags in 40 days
What to do
Place 40 grocery sacks in a visible place. I put mine in
my closet so that when I would pick out clothes I would come
face to face with my bags. Then every day during Lent, except
for Sundays, fill a bag and either toss it out or give it away. I gave
many bags to the bargain box and some directly to people who
might benefit from them.
Some tips to keep in mind
• Resist doing more than one bag per day. Stick with just one bag a day and you will develop a habit of eliminating clutter. I only doubled up when I knew something conflicted with my discipline. For instance, I doubled up for a week before Spring Break, since I would be gone.
• Never make an exception. Once you skip, the discipline typically starts to unravel. If you do miss, just pick-up where you left off. Do a bag and don’t worrying about catching up. Pick-up the bag you missed on a Sunday or on a day where you really have an easy time filling it.
• Starting will be easy, but you might find yourself groping for ideas of what to toss after you fill 10 or 20 bags.
Here are some suggestions:
Books Clothes Shoes
Old files Stored boxes Drawers
Closets Cleaning supplies
Cupboards Dvd’s
Cd’s, Audio Tapes
Albums Toys
Video Tapes Sports gear
Don’t forget junk in your cars or garage!
• When struggling with whether or not to get rid of something you may suffer from the “I’ll use it someday” syndrome. Consider these 3 questions—
-How long have you been waiting for ‘some day’ to come?
-Are you realistically likely to use it?
-Could someone benefit from using it now?
Answers to these questions might help you let go.
Benefits
Simplifying your life yields practical and spiritual benefits. De-cluttering relieves stress, helps you efficiently use time and space, and frees you up for greater priorities. Letting go of things, expands your trust in God. Many of us horde to feed our sense of security and control. When that occurs our trust in God atrophies. Blessings on your Lenten journey and please share your successes.
Published by: http://ThePracticalDisciple.com.
Permission granted to reproduce for non-commerical purposes.
Copyright 2009
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