Moving…Packing Up revised

Dear Worshippers,

Last week I wrote about mobility and the need to be ready to able to move as God conforms us to the image of His beloved Son and our Savior, Jesus. As I said then, I have moving a lot on my mind these days. I will be packing a truck tomorrow, Lord willing and driving it to Warren on Thursday. This would not be possible were it not for a lot of packing over the last couple of months, but especially the last couple of weeks, of which my dear Sarah has down the majority. Thank you, Sweetie.

Sarah and I spent many hours the first Saturday of January packing up our garage. During that labor I came across several things I had been holding onto that I thought I might need at some point. At least that’s my response to the question, “Why are you keeping that?” [I should say at this point that Sarah is very good for me in this among so many other ways in that she has helped me to purge my life of useless things on many occasions. Don’t tell her I told you that!]

Probably the best example of keeping something that had long ago lost its usefulness was the old, rusty fire place tools which we first purchased over 10 years ago while living in Nebraska. When we moved to Florida {remember I am talking about fireplace tools} she asked why I was moving them. To which I responded, “I might need them”. I didn’t. When we moved to West Virginia she asked again but this time why we were moving a set that was beginning to look ragged. Same response.

When I pulled them out of the corner of the garage on that day she just looked at me. Nothing needed to be said. I moved them to the curb with the rest of the items to be discarded. It had become obvious that these tools were now useless; even I could see that, finally realizing what she had known for years. She had been so patient with me.

Walking by that corner the last few days has been a delight. There is much more room there. The entire surrounding area is neater. The clutter has been cleared away.

So here is the question. What is stuck in the corner of your soul today? As you contemplate moving into a new year/season/place with your Lord, what is cluttering your life making it difficult to experience the margin that would otherwise help you enjoy it? What has become useless in your life that you may need to discard to make the journey a little lighter?

Consider this. Are you holding onto something that you need to put out on the curb? Do you need to let go of something to be able to move on with Jesus in the next episode? I pray that Spirit will tune your heart as you ponder these thoughts.

In the context of what Pastor Myron said Sunday, what does God want to prune away to prepare you for the growth He so desires in you. It may be painful to let go of something that seems dear, but as the Holy Spirit leads I want to encourage you to let go and watch God do it in you. I am learning many lessons these days, and I have my eyes wide open as Jesus is doing a new thing in me. What will He do in you today?

Next week…Revelation and Response.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott