A Cluttered Soul 

   I am doing some major cleaning and de-cluttering in my home.  I am  emptying drawers, shelves, and some cabinets to see what all I have that I never use.  It seemed to me that keeping things I never use is not only ridiculous, but selfish; giving those things to others makes so much more sense than allowing them to sit out of sight, out of mind and never used.

   What I have found has brought both joy and sadness.  There were photos that brought fond memories, some bringing tears. I’ve found all sorts of bric-a-brac that hadn’t seen the light of day for years.  There have been some things that I have just sat down and held for a while before putting them someplace safe.  I hope that when I’m gone they might mean something to my children, perhaps giving them a happy memory.

   It occurs to me that this is something that I need to do not only in my home but in my heart and soul.  Clutter is not good for the soul; that is where God is to dwell within me.  Archbishop Fulton Sheen wrote, “God writes His name on the soul of every man.”  When we write our name on something, we claim ownership.  If God writes His name on my soul He is claiming it for Himself, and I must allow nothing else to reside there.

   Hiding in the darkness of the soul there may be unholy desires, evil thoughts, maybe a grudge against someone who has harmed me in the past.  God will not stay in a soul that is cluttered with such as these.  I must remove them, offering to God a soul that desires nothing but Him.

   “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” (John 14: 23)  Life is full of clutter, things that leave no room for God.  When we clear out such clutter and keep the word of Christ, He will come and dwell within us.