When I spoke at Q Women a few weeks ago, God created an experience that was a bigger blessing to me than I imagined. Has that ever happened to you? Have you gone into a situation, thinking you were going to go in, do your thing, and then come home and that would be that, only to have God drop a word right into your heart that changed you forever and for good?
If you’ve had that happen to you, then you know it’s really pointless to try to explain it the way it happened or the way you experienced it. Those kinds of moments are so intimate and uniquely designed to speak to your specific situation—your DNA, your history and your future, your vocabulary, your understanding of things—that the story never translates well when you try to share it. What you know is that God broke through your ordinary way of looking at the world and gave you a glimpse of what life can really be like and, because of that, you sit back, take a deep breath, and start living life with brand new eyes.
So, I’m not going to try to tell you what happened in Nashville, Tennessee. Not today. Maybe one day, if you and I sit down for a long lunch or have the opportunity to enjoy an extended walk outside, beneath the deep blue sky. If we ever find the time and space to make that happen, I will do my very best to explain the many ways God reminded me that he is good, his plans for me are good, and he delights in me. I don’t mean to sound selfish or exclusive, here. God’s message for you is the exact same as the one I’m telling you he shared with me. It just so happens, however, that my time in Nashville was like a date with God—just me and him, and him telling me I’m the apple of his eye and that he’s in this for the long haul.
I couldn’t escape him. We cannot escape him. He is relentless in his pursuit of us. His love for us is endless and without condition. His love for YOU is endless and without condition.
Today, after church (and I realize this is an odd transition, but hang in there with me), my friend asked, “What do you have planned for the rest of the afternoon?” and do you know what I said to her? I said, “I’m going home and I’m going to organize my linen closet.” It’s my latest project.
We have had towels in our linen closet that we received as wedding gifts, nearly thirty years ago. No one wants those towels. No one wants to use those towels. They’ve held up over the years, and they carry a lot of sentimental value for me, but honestly…they are nearly thirty years old. So, this afternoon, I threw them in the trashcan. Last week, I organized my kitchen cabinets. I threw out old vitamins and tea bags and petrified saltine crackers from when I was writing Every Little Thing. The week before the kitchen cabinets, I cleaned out my pantry. I got rid of expired spices and sauces I will never use. I wiped down the shelves and I went to HomeGoods and bought containers to help keep stuff organized.
“It feels like a spiritual practice,” I said to my friend in church when I told her about all my organizing and making space. And it is. It has become an act of worship for me—this making space and getting rid of things I no longer need and that no longer serve me or my family well. It is my Advent ceremony, and it is a direct extension of my date with God in Nashville.
Jesus has come to give us life, and the life he’s got planned for us is an abundant one. I want to have room to receive what God wants to give. And this is not about possessions or monetary wealth. But, the physical act of creating space to breathe beneath my roof and in the corners of my home, reminds me that God is in relentless pursuit of us, he is closer than we’ve ever imagined possible, and his love for us is more than we can handle.
It reminds me of the lyric, “Let every heart, prepare him room.” Stripping away the clutter, making room. Love it.
Yes. Exactly that.
Yes, yes, Deidra this is such a meaningful spiritual practice, handling our possessions 1 by 1, deciding if they’re still needed, organizing and tossing and donating. God cares about it all. And I’m glad, ’cause I’m doing lots of this as we settle into our new home …
For some reason, handling them, one by one, is such an important part of this practice. Maybe to help realize how much we have—not materially, but in our stories.
i am thinking here, as I read the back and forth, doing this ourselves allows us to handle each thing — if we procrastinate, then we give up that privilege because we are no longer able to do it and others come in and handle those things for us.
oh I love this challenge this next year will be the purge year for me. Hubby is retiring and we are deep cleaning rooms and closets and I just have to let those things go. I love your line in the beginning “he is relentless in his pursuit of us.” YES He is and I am so glad.
The linen closet is done, and I will soon be on to purging stuff from my office. Melissa Michaels’ book, Love the Home You Have has been such a great read for me during this season. Have you read it, Sharon?
Oh how I long for a long walk under deep blue skies! xoxo One day, my friend! And just so much Yes and Amen here! As Jennifer said, let every heart prepare Him room!
It does feel like that, in so many ways…God making room. Amen.
a long lunch followed by a long walk is my choice. i’ll take it when, if I ever get the chance. lovely to anticipate the possibility!
Yes, please!
So good, Deidra. And the way you explained those unexplainable interludes with God . . perfect.
“Unexplainable Interludes.” Hmmm. Are you writing a book?
This is just beautiful. And even without the details of your date with God, I sense His Spirit in your words. Oh how gracious he is to meet us when we do not expect it and remind us that he loves us as individuals, not just the whole world. Basking in the glow of his presence through you!
Thank you, for being able to see through the words.
Good for you! Please don’t forget your local shelter before throwing out things. I imagine they would have taken your towels. We have a rescue mission here that will come and pick up whatever we want to donate. They hauled away an entire garage full of stuff one time. It felt wonderful to get rid of things and to also share them with those in need. God bless.
Yes. I have taken carloads of stuff to Goodwill, all throughout this process. But, my husband and I have committed that we won’t give to someone else something that is too old or too worn for us to use. I am absolutely certain the people at Goodwill would have been appalled at those ancient towels. 😉
What Good Will won’t take, often homeless shelters will take so they can pass them out to the homeless on the street. Another place that will take old towels is animal shelters. Just something to keep in mind when you wear out your newer towels. 🙂 I wish you all the best with your cleansing process. My husband and I moved a year ago to a smaller house, and it really is a wonderful feeling. I felt lighter afterwards. I bought your book “Every Little Thing” and I’m looking forward to reading it after Christmas. I love your writing style. Have a Merry Christmas!
I’ve begun attacking my book cases just because I want to feel less encumbered. I hadn’t thought of it in relation to advent, but DEFINITELY thinking of it as a spiritual practice — letting go, saying the word “enough” to myself, and thanking God for His abundance that keeps me from having to accumulate “stuff.”
You know, we haven’t even put up our Christmas tree, yet. I’m thinking I may put it up on Christmas Eve — something I’ve never done before. It seems fitting to not fill up the spaces in our home while I’m still in the process of making room. I do love the way this practice has evolved and is leading me, rather than me putting myself on some schedule of study or daily reading and then bossing that schedule and those words around on the page. Does that make sense?
Abundant sense!
Deidra,
Yes! I get it…Long lunch if you ever come out to CA again…Promise?
Yes! I often think about our missed lunch in CA, and I wish for a do-over. Next time I’m on the left coast, I will look you up, sister!
I would have loved to have those towels. Something OLD. Something with Memories.
Trust me. You didn’t want these towels.
I did keep some towels that I inherited from my mother-in-law when she passed away. They are older than my wedding-gift towels, but they were her guest towels, and hardly used, unless I was visiting. These towels are special and hold so much sentimental value for me.
Deidra, I’m so glad I came by…(a little late). Number one, I SO relate to you when you share about your ‘date’ with God. When we had our Retreat weekend in October, Kimberlee and I both just shook our heads and stared at each other when it was over. So much more way beyond what we prayed and dreamed for, and all of it because God loves US. And pretty unexplainable…I’m with you on that.
I was tickled to read your account of making room by cleaning out and organizing. God speaks to me about just that about once a year…It’s like the physical process of making room allows for something spiritual to move in. (you saw my book stack photo, yes? Like that. I love all those books but I gotta make room for God’s word to ME.)
So very blessed to call you friend…wouldn’t a long lunch be lovely? Who knows?
Guess I am a little late, too… but I thank you for the reminder to keep things simple and if they have sat around way too long.. why keep them, right? I often ponder why i do this.. and then I see in my mind’s eye my mama’s kitchen… and remember the same kind of “stuff”. Do I miss my mama that much!!??… that I tend to do the same things, or are they just really bad habits? My closet and my shelves and my drawers all are full and “habit-filled. ” maybe I can consider it as an act of “worthship” too.. (smile)