Heart Check

So, do any of you have a junk drawer? You know, that spot in your dresser where stuff seems to accumulate. Stuff that you really don't want to part with, but don't really use very often either.

My daughter is only in first grade, so her junk drawer contains a small plastic slinky, party favor size bottle of bubbles, random marbles and glass beads that she deemed pretty enough to keep, a very short pencil with almost-new eraser, etc, etc. You get the picture.

My junk drawer contains some screws that probably go to something. I'm afraid to throw them away - because then I'll figure out later what I needed them for and then I won't have them! A few keys are in there, too. The luggage size. Same problem as above. A flashlight, a tiny screwdriver, some pens, some rubber bands, a spare half-used Blistex, an exercise ball pump, etc, etc. Yours might have some random lipsticks, pony tail holders, pens, a calculator, some left-over gum, maybe someone's picture, who knows what else?!

The point is that sometimes, because of the fast pace of our lives, we don't deal with the things in our junk drawer. Things we just leave alone because we don't know what to do with them. Things we'd rather hide than throw away. Useless things that need to be shown the trash can as well as long lost useful things we are glad we stored up and have access to later when needed. More urgent things demand our energy and attention every day. So we sweep stuff into the drawer and hold on to it until we decide what to do with it later. The stage of our life dictates what kind of stuff is in our drawer.

Our hearts can be the same way, so every once in a while we need to clean out the "junk drawer" and have a heart check. Psalm 139:23-24 says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." It takes deciding to open up the drawer and sort through the articles inside, doesn't it? It takes bringing them into the light and deciding if they are worth keeping. It takes us inviting God, who really knows the contents of our hearts, to shine His light around and see what is good and useful and what needs to be shown the trash can.

If I asked my daughter to throw away some of her "treasures" it would be really hard for her and might entail some whining/crying. Even though I can see that they are plastic worthless trinkets and not as valuable as something I might like to give her, she has no room for them. Similarly, it might be painful to deal with some of the things we hold on to in our hearts and a cause for whining/crying. Maybe a relationship that takes us further from our Savior or an activity/pursuit that divides our time too much. These things fill our hearts and take up space which He wanted to fill with "more than we could ask or imagine," (Eph 3:20). Proverbs 17:3 says, "The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart." It might feel like a furnace at times to let Him purify us as needed so that He can fill us with His Spirit and use us for His glory.

Is there room in your heart for the Spirit to move? Does He have free reign? Is anything cluttering it up which He might be speaking to you about right now? As I write this, I know that TIME is the issue for me - taking time to sit and allow Him to unclutter my heart. It can't be done if I don't decide to open up the drawer and deal with it. Psalm 46:10 tells us to "Be still and know that He is God." That is what it will take for us today.

So I'd like to hear from you! Tell me an item in your literal junk drawer that might represent something "cluttering" your heart. If you've got real heart clutter and have to make up something literal to represent it, go for it! Then put that reminder near your bathroom mirror to remind you to give it over daily. Let me hear from you this month!

[Posted by Carrie]