As many of you know, we sold our house 1 week prior to leaving for Uganda on February 2nd. We spent that week frantically packing and sorting. We built our house in 2005 and moved in November 1st of that same year. We thought that we had done a good job of cleaning out and getting rid of unneeded items, as the years went along. When it got down to it, and we needed to decide what to keep and what to get rid of, we were living in a Bunch of Trash! This picture shows one trash pick up day.
We had this much again on the next trash day, in addition to a pickup load of stuff that we took out of the garage to the clinic’s dumpster. That got me to thinking of how much trash we live in, both literally as shown above and figuratively, as we hold on to things that are unnecessary. You know, things like anger, bitterness, jealousy, grudges, and emotional pain.
In five years, without proper “pruning”, our house became cluttered with things that we did not need (trash). Just think how our spiritual dwellings can become cluttered if we don’t lay it down before the Father.
Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance, the race that is set before us”.
I don’t know about you, but I have enough trouble running in just running shorts and a good pair of tennis shoes! I don’t need anything to hinder me. This is true for a physical race or a spiritual race, as Paul describes.
I think that it is time for some good “spring cleaning” and a Church-wide (all Christians) “Big Trash Day”. Let’s set that trash that entangles us out at the curb of Jesus!
Thanks for your continued prayers.
Jay
Great post!
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