I am not an organized person. I think I said that in my last post. I want to be, but it doesn’t happen naturally. So my room and bathroom tend to get pretty disorganized quickly.
I recently went on a trip to the beach with my family and when I got back had to unpack my suitcase. In my defense, I ended up getting sick on the drive back and did not feel like putting anything away. But, not so much in my defense, my unpacking looked about the same as it usually does.
Packing cubes were in a pile next to the hamper, all bathroom stuff had been pulled out of bags and then placed all over the counter, hair tools didn’t even make it back into the bathroom, they were just put over on my desk that still had all of my nail polishes out from trying to paint my nails before the trip.
A weight lifted
Like I said, I was sick so my room and bathroom stayed that way for a week. And I didn’t think it affected me, except that finding a place to put my towel (I usually put it on the corner of the counter for easy access after a shower) was a little difficult and I had to push bottles of skincare around, careful not to break anything or drop anything off the edge.
And then I was feeling a bit better over the weekend so I decided to tidy up. And as things were being put away and counter and floor space was clearing, I felt weights that I didn’t even realize were there being lifted from my chest and shoulders. And I don’t really know why I’m surprised; it literally happens every time I clean my room. The stress of living in a mess (no matter how big or small) eats away at me without me realizing it until it’s lifted while I’m cleaning up.
I’ve had similar experiences with sin. Just little things start piling up. Everything seems fine until all of a sudden I look around and it’s not fine. I’ve been holding on to things that have been weighing me down.
Our burdens taken
Sometimes it might even be that I haven’t been reading my Bible. Day after day it slowly weighs me down until I finally turn around and read and ask for forgiveness. I give that time back to God and I feel that pressure of guilt wash away.
Other times it might be something as small as having an issue I’m worried about, but I haven’t asked for comfort from God. And as I pray, I let it go to Him. I don’t know why I feel a need to hold on to everything myself, but it’s something I have to remind myself of hourly, it seems like. I don’t have to. He tells us to give everything to Him.
“…casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
It shouldn’t still surprise me, because it happens the same way every time. But cleaning my room gave me a good reminder that I should give all of my cares and fears and worries and concerns and sins to God. He always takes them. And He gives us rest, respite, peace and salvation in return.