Rebuilding From the Rubbles of the Old: Have you Done Your Spring Cleaning?

    By TejAmosky  My wardrobe was in need of some spring cleaning and yesterday I did. Not because I had nothing to do but because it was time I did. How did I know it was time? I saw a roach in my room! For those who know me well, roaches are my number one public enemy. Only second to snakes. I had the plan to do a thorough cleaning of the room for the past ten months. Yes, ten months of procrastinating, but I did not. Until I saw a roach in the middle of the night. Anyways, I got down and dirty. Much dirtier than I envisioned but I was determined to put my room in good order. First, I fished out ALL clothing I hadn’t worn in 10 months and more and gave them away. Yes, I swallowed and emptied my wardrobe. Except for this pair of slippers i had kept for years. I can’t even remember when or where I got them, but I could never bring myself to get rid of them. They were a pair of gold slippers with sturdy wooden heels that still looked as good as new. I kept the slippers again. Again with the hope of salvaging the straps somehow…it really would be a waste throwing away all that beautiful frame just because the straps, the very slim straps, were peeling off! So I kept the slippers. I began to see space. Space and dust. Space, dust and some other decomposed elements I never knew I had in my closet. It was liberating. By the time I was done cleaning, I decided to do some rearranging. Exactly a year ago I got my baby a lovely pair of red shoes and on her birthday I decided to try them on her as they were some sizes bigger when I got them. They were still too big so I decided to put them away, only, one foot went missing. We searched high and low to no avail. I decided  my madam must have binned it while we weren’t looking or something. It was a sad loss. As I started rearranging stuff, something suddenly fell from in-between a couple of boxes. It was the missing foot of the red shoes. To say I was elated is putting it mildly. I got out the other foot and shared the excitement with my mum. It was a joy to watch my girl put them on and walk around in them for the rest of the evening! Now my room is looking great and my wardrobe is cleaner than ever, albeit scanty. I am happy because 2014 will be a GREAT year for them both. Why? Because I have made room for more relevant items. The state my wardrobe is in now will be a constant reminder that it NEEDS  filling. Many lives are in dire need of some spring cleaning. Some of us have great maintenance culture and unlike my narrated situation, do not need a roach to remind them of what needs to be done. When stale issues, people, relationships are left hanging around us, unnecessary unwanted and toxic emotions, acts and trends invade our lives and if not attended to, could ruin the other good things we have or covet. Spring cleaning’s ultimate goal is to keep you clean from toxic and create room for good vibes and emotions. You don’t have to throw all your stuff away, what you may need to do may be washing up what you have left dirty and packing them neatly where they ought to be. Whichever way you choose, spring cleaning is a must if you want to breath easy, so, get those cobwebs out and make room for the sunshine! All through this cleaning period, a lot of things dropped in my heart and I knew I had to put fingers to keyboard yet again. It was time for a perfect review and evaluation. Lessons learned: – in the case of my wardrobe: cleaning up always reveal more than you ever knew was living with you. – in the case of the gold slippers: nothing is truly over as long as you are willing to give it another go. – in the case of my baby’s lovely red shoes: 1, until you cleanup your mess and rearrange things in your life, you won’t know you have been ignorantly and unjustly accusing others for things missing in your life. 2, what was once lost can be found again, and even if they don’t look exactly like they used to, they can still bring you much joy and happiness. – in the case of the scantiness of my wardrobe: do not be afraid to be *empty* for a while, for it is only an empty vase that can be filled. Elijah needed the widow’s empty vases to fill up with oil and Jesus needed empty vases to perform the miracle of the wine. When God decides to use, He first empties…then He fills to overflow. Sometimes empty is good. Do not be afraid. Do not delay to face your accumulated pile else it continues to attract unwanted pests which can harm your peace of mind. So dear friends, these are my thoughts into the year and I thought to share with you. Hopefully a life will be touched, hope renewed and faith restored. But remember, it starts with some spring cleaning! Determine to breath easy this 2014. Go ahead and live; let the sunshine in! Have a fulfilling year!!!