A person might not normally think moving to another city is time to spend focusing on spiritual awareness and personal growth.

Moving tends to be a matter of the physical and mental, not spiritual. The lists, the changes of address, the movers, the packing, the sorting and turmoil. The lifting of fridges and shifting of boxes.

Moving is an experience, one best done quickly like ripping off a band-aid. Not the ideal time for quiet contemplation.

It’s during these times where spiritual introspection seems far off that some striking realizations about self and situation come. In this, the 9th move of my adult life, I began to realize that the process of moving, how we go about it, is similar to how many of us approach living in Christian community.

 

1.) Hiding the clutter

This realization hit me as I was standing in a borrowed trailer, looking at the hastily packed boxes of stuff that we cleared out of our house. This was the pre-packing purge. Knowing the time was coming when people would be evaluating our personal living space and feeling the need to hide the items that, though we wanted them in our lives, we didn’t think others would want to see.

The mess we are comfortable with but don’t feel comfortable letting others have access to or opinions about.

These are limping items that we don’t have the heart to throw away, the humidifiers for our illnesses, the toys with stains, the clothing that is too small but holds out hope for later. All of these securities and secret dreams that don’t feel safe in the light of strangers.

All too often I think of the spiritual and emotional clutter that inhabits my life. The ideas and thoughts behind the ‘I’m fine and how are you?’. Some good, some not so good, some cherished, and some inhibiting. These aspects of my life and who I am only are seen by those I trust spiritually. Like the trailer that sat in our driveway, we all know that it’s there, but not everyone get to see the contents.

 

2.) Presenting our ‘best’ selves

“Mom, when do we get to stop starting every day with cleaning?”

Ah, yes, the life of a house always ready for showing. Making sure there is no dust or imperfections, worrying over stray fuzz and dropped Kleenex. Always ready for show.

For many of us, this is the extent of our spiritual community interactions. We are always spiritually cleaned and pressed, crackling at the seams with starch and preparation. We put our best spiritual foot forward but looming behind us is the trailer full of spiritual clutter. We all have the trailer, but sometimes we worry that people won’t like us if they don’t see the sparkling and crackling spiritual selves that we portray.

 

3.) Cleaning the corners

My house is never cleaner than when I’m leaving it. The scrubbing on top of the fridge, vacuuming out cabinets, wiping off dryer vents and crawling through crawl spaces. It is glorious. Exhausting but glorious.

Daily life means that there are corners of my house that get missed. Unless I’m up close and searching, there are dusty and dirty places that I don’t always see.

Spiritually, I have dusty and dirty corners, too. Places that are easy to gloss over or not see as we move through our spiritual life. Places that I don’t notice unless God shows me and I’m spiritually still enough to pay attention.

 

So now that I’m surrounded by boxes and spiritual realization, what does this mean? 

Everyone has a trailer. Your trailer may not have the same clutter as my trailer, but my trailer does have clutter.

It’s ok that we have a trailer. What’s not ok is if the trailer sits and gathers dust and we never go into the trailer and open the boxes. Ignoring the trailer does not make the clutter go away.

Letting others see your spiritual clutter is one great way God has given us to help deal with that clutter. It’s also helpful for the impulse to be continually ready for show. These things go hand in hand.

Hiding our clutter is exhausting and feels lonely. But bridging that gap can be hard. How do you start? Answering kind, wise, and safe people honestly when they ask you how you are is a good beginning. And be a safe, kind, and wise person when other people share their clutter with you.

And be willing to deal with the clutter. Sit with God and ask him to show you the clutter and the forgotten corners. Be willing to let him show you what clean corners look like. Ask for his equipping to tackle those areas in your life that need his hand of healing or redemption or truth. Be willing, and listen. He knows what we need.