Declutter your life for Christmas.

Earlier this week, I read a fascinating article in the Guardian Newspaper, about decluttering your home for Christmas.
The premise is that over the Christmas period many people need more space in their homes to accommodate guests – family, friends, even strangers. For some, more space will be needed to store food, even presents in various stages of wrapping.

The writer of the article, Vicky Silverthorn,  is a professional adviser about how to go about decluttering and the article is packed with advice. For example, look into your food cupboards and start to eat what is still in date; If you can’t use it, foodbanks are desperate for donations.
The advice includes what to do with children’s toys that are no longer required. “Always involve the children in making choices after carefully explaining why you are doing this.” suggests Vicky; other advice includes how to donate unwanted stuff to Charity Shops, though not electrical goods; or perhaps to neighbours. Recycling is one option for some items or even selling on Ebay, Etsy etc and donating the proceeds to charity. There is a suggestion, too, that when giving presents to others, “Encourage the gift of experiences rather than stuff,” says Silverthorn. i.e, theatre, restaurant, cinema tokens or days out to special places.

Behind the advice is, of course, about how to tidy your life and the way you live. Christmas is, to use the well-oiled slogan, a time ‘for giving’ more than a time for ‘getting’. Maybe some act of de-cluttering will foster a more generous and orderly life.
So that got me thinking.
What about spiritual de-cluttering? Not of our homes, but of ourselves.

I’ve jotted down a few things to get the ball rolling.
One of the first things I’d like to throw out is prejudice. That really does clutter up generosity and acceptance of people who are different to oneself;  Judgement follows quickly behind this. We are so quick to pass opinion on matters we often know little about.  For example, the way people use social media to denigrate others often using the most intemperate language (not to mention atrocious spelling!). Another thing to get rid of are fixed, rigid beliefs, not least when it comes to using and often abusing Scripture. The Bible can prove and disprove almost everything.
I remember a group of young people on a vocation conference writing an advert for Bible Reading. …. “Murder, rape, pillage, violence, treachery, vandalism, stealing , drug addiction…..it’s all in the Bible – Don’t Save it for Sunday!
Great fun but it hit the mark.
Don’t throw away the Bible, of course but decide to read and use it intelligently.

A huge thing to get rid of is Negativity. It lurks in corners and piles up like stacks of old newspapers. In fact most newspapers pedal negativity along with television. My physiotherapist said to me yesterday that if I wanted to release stress (declutter it from my person) then stop watching the BBC News. A wise thought!So many things clutter up or spirit such as Gossiping about others and with others. Sometimes gossiping can be holy as an exchange for the purposes of prayer for example but we all know the truth! A long time ago, I heard broadcaster Brian Redhead talk about a group of women slaves in Antioch. On their day off they went to the races and there they had a jolly good gossip ~ about Jesus and the Good News of the Gospel! Gossiping about God (not, please, the Church!) is a wonderful way of giving your spirit a chance to soar, not least because it’s so positive.

Many things in our hearts and souls  need to be binned – unkindness, ridicule of others, bearing grudges, self-centredness, sin, the wrong sort of pride, putting off phoning people or replying to emails.
Don’t forget to look in the cupboard of Good Intentions!  That’s where you’ll find the things you meant to do but which are very close to their sell-by date. Things like spending quality time with people, including loved ones and visiting people who would love to see you ~ and don’t forget, that includes God.
Remember, too, that being with God needs you to be quiet with yourself.

It is not a sin to spend what might seem selfish ~ time for yourself. Spiritual batteries need re-charging, otherwise you will be running on ‘empty’ and then, eventually you might not move at all. That’s known as Spiritual Inertia, which the Psalmists call, the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day.

You get the idea? De-clutter your soul of everything that gets in the way of the Holy Spirit, who, if you make room, will sweep in with renewed gifts that you can give to others ~ love and kindness, friendship and care and generosity; openness and non-judgemental acceptance;   and just finding space for God, for others and for yourself. The good thing is that you can fill your soul with all these things – and more-and it will never feel cluttered because you will give out from what you receive. It’s called the grace of God and, to use a lovely idea from Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, it is all pre-loved by God. We can be sure of that.

…and that’s a great present to find under the tree of your de-cluttered soul.

[Mr G]

QUIET HEARTS

O Spirit of God,
set at rest the crowded, hurrying, anxious thoughts
within our minds and hearts.
Let the peace and quiet of thy presence
take possession of us.
Help us to rest, to relax,
to become open and receptive to thee.
Thou dost know our inmost spirits,
the hidden unconscious life within us,
the forgotten memories of hurts and fears,
the frustrated desires,
the unresolved tensions and dilemmas.
Cleanse and sweeten the springs of our being,
that freedom, life and love
may flow into both our conscious and hidden life.
Lord, we lie open before thee,
waiting for thy peace,
thy healing,
thy word.

[George Appleton]