Bettering a relationship with God

Published 9:32 am Friday, March 6, 2015

During Lent, the Spirit of God calls us to confront ourselves.

Henry Doyle

Henry Doyle

One of the questions which confronts us is: How are we living?

If you had knocked at the door of my residence a few months ago, you would not have entered my abode.  Because of the “organized” clutter inside, you would have stood in the elements on the porch, regardless of the weather. Of course, sometimes I pretended not to hear the knock on the door. I felt so embarrassed that I wanted no one to see how I lived.

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Alone, I could not rid myself of the clutter and chaos; I felt overwhelmed and at loss where to start to put my small living space in order. I turned to a professional organizer, a woman with whom I had worked and who had started her own company. I signed the contract for the package with the maximum hours.

Penny made me face reality and admit certain things, such as the fact that I had become a hoarder.

For example, if you looked in one of the closets, you saw 13 bottles of the same brand of laundry detergent on the floor. I let Penny take charge, because I knew that she was doing what was right for me. Quickly, I decided that I had to let go of much stuff. I gave away new and unused items, because I refused to hold any kind of sale.

The second contract soon ends, and it seems that I need a third contract to complete the undertaking of putting my present home in order and organizing the new dwelling I have purchased, but into which I have yet to move. If you are thinking of a housewarming gift, please cease the thought. Thank you very much.

A friend called what is happening as cleaning out the cobwebs in life. She has pointed out that order lessens the stress in life.

God seems clearer and easier to connect with once the cobwebs are cleared out of the way. What she pointed out I have felt and seen. I have improved and will keep improving the way in which God wants me to live. I enjoy living organized and free of stuff, and I will enjoy it more when I free myself of other unnecessary stuff.

Oh, before I forget, I will let you into my residence.

 

The Rev. Henry Doyle is priest-in-charge at Christ Episcopal Church.