Making spaces

Spring has a certain energy.

You can smell it in the air even before you see any visible evidence of its arrival.

Seeds that have been dormant during the long winter seasons start to awaken.

Seeds. What miraculous underestimated little things.

That inside of a tiny seed is a strong oak tree, a nutritious fruit, a beautiful flower, a miraculous child…

Did you know that when you were formed inside of your mother by the very hands that created the world that you were designed with everything you need to bring forth the expression of God that he created you to bring forth into the world?!?

Think about that…

How much time do we spend questioning our abilities, comparing ourselves to someone else while that same person is comparing themselves with someone else, and on and on it goes…

When will we stop the madness of comparison and exchange it for a celebration? Instead of spending our energy comparing or critiquing we would instead celebrate the uniqueness inside of each and every one of us.

We can believe that each of us has a fingerprint unique to us, that no one else in the universe can have.  CAN you believe that your soul has a print just as unique?

This self-doubt goes all the way back to the beginning…

 

One of the very first stories from the Bible that we learn as little children is about Adam and Eve in the beautiful, perfect garden that God created for them.  

We read and learn how God created male and female in His very own image.  WOW!  How incredible is that?!?   

Yet. it doesn’t take very long in the story for Eve to listen to a lie and doubt who she is…

I have spent so much time thinking about this particular scenario…

Here is Eve, someone that has “ live and in-person” communication with God, given beautiful surroundings to live in, given instruction and warning, and most importantly was given the gift of free will.

The sad thing is she used that gift to be deceived.  Growing up I can remember hearing different judgments and jokes about Eve. But as I’ve grown up I’ve realized that there is a little Eve in all of us.

That the very thing she has been judged for is the same thing we can all be guilty of each and every day.

What is it in human nature that causes us to reach for things that will never satisfy?

AND

Why is it easy for us to believe the words of others for our lives over the words of one that created us?

I think the answer might play out differently for all of us, but I think fear just might be the underlying root in all of us.

Some days the fear is that we aren’t enough and other days it's the fear that we are too much.

I don’t believe that you and I were created in the image of God and don’t have that awareness deep within us.

Some of you might try to argue with me on this and point out all the insecurities you struggle with but that’s surface-level stuff... 

The stuff we hide behind and get comfortable with because it’s easier than standing up and showing up in the power of the God who created us to the world around us.

Eve had everything she needed to fulfill the purpose God had for her yet she chose to entertain a lie and reach for something that would never satisfy.

She had already been given dominion. Yet she allowed someone to convince her she was lacking.

What lies are you believing about yourself?

What voices are you allowing in your ears that are convincing you that what you have is not enough?

Your education is not enough

Your body is not enough

Your house is not enough

Your husband is not enough

I could go on and on…

And because we believe these lies we fill our hearts and minds and shopping carts and houses with “things” that will never and can never bring the satisfaction and fill the deep longings in our souls that we were created to be filled with God.

Which leads me to a question…

Do you have any space in your life for anything “new” in this season??

Spring Cleaning is a thing in this season and as most of you, I too had my days and weeks of decluttering and purging.  

I realized one day as i was making all of the piles that all the “professional” organizational people advise us to make to sort through all of the things that I always tend to end up with one BIG pile (I'll call it ``I'm not comfortable with departing from it pile so I’m hanging on to it for another year pile;)

To paint the picture a little more clear for you I’m spending valuable time sorting through all kinds of stuff and I realized that I’d been handling and sorting through most of these items for several years…

And the question hit me...Susan How many more times do you want to look at and hold in your hands these same things only to keep holding onto them?

Why are you afraid of letting them go?

Do you realize they are taking up space in your mental life as well as your physical life and if you are wanting to make room in this new season then you have got to let go!!

The thing is some of the items I didn’t even have use for, as I’ve gotten healthier mentally and physically...they no longer fit or serve me in a good way. But I was used to having them. I thought I still needed them.

Be warned this process isn’t pretty or for the faint of heart and you know if you’ve done it…This whole making space thing gets messier and harder before it gets clearer and easier!!

But it’s worth it to live free and lighter in every area of our life.

Clearing out and making space takes time

And I get it...

We can all find it easy to complain about how busy we are and you might not want to hear this but YOU are in control of more of your schedule than you might be acknowledging.

And that goes back to us choosing to stay with the uncomfortable choices that we are comfortable with….

Scared of taking full responsibility and standing up in the fullness of God within us.

Where are you needing to create space in your life?

What areas need to be decluttered and what crap does not need to be sorted through ONE more time in your life but finally discarded!!!

Take the time

Create the space

Live the life you were created to live