Clutter can block what you Love to do.

The secret is not to write about what you love best, but about what you, alone, love at

all.

Annie Dillard

I love this quote but it goes beyond writing. It is life. What does that mean for me?

 To Worship and enjoy intimacy with Jesus.

I know I am not the only one to experience this relationship. What I am saying is because of the uniqueness of ME, no one can express it, share it, live it the same way I can.  That is the same for you.

Presently God is pointing out areas,  blocking  joyous abandonment in freely expressing  what I alone love at all. .

CLUTTER!

Did you expect me to reveal a deep eerie secret?

My email, my house, papers and unnecessary kept items  can keep me from enjoying what I truly love.

Pretending the stacks don’t exist works for so long. The mounds of e-mail I go through to just press Delete takes time. I would rather be creating and sharing.

Now to the holidays.

Depending on your character, your lives may experience an interesting challenge where eliminating clutter is a contradiction in terms. A mega-Martha Stewart who lies dormant  for several months  suddenly awakens  turning the house into an electrical White Christmas Showcase with all the trimmings.  

 Over flowing boxes  appear out of nowhere. Strings of lights lay on the floor.  Ornaments are strewn over the couch.  Watch where you are  walking so nothing is broken. Make sure the cat (or baby) does not swallow any silver tinsel. Where is the creche? Where are we going to box up all the present nick-nacs to open up space for  this year’s Christmas cuties?

This is just the decorations

Activities galore,  parties, fun events are planned for every week, maybe everyday  starting the day after Thanksgiving going  all the way to Christmas Day or New Years.   All very important.  All necessary?

If the comparison demon knocks on your door when you are writing or creating,  does it ring loudly at this time of the year  in other areas?

• “Are there as many gifts for  (fill in the blank) as they gave us?
• Will the kids remember this as a really special  Christmas?
• I hope the food is good for the party.”
• Will we be able to make it to this celebrations and that party?
  

    By now you must think I  gave Charles Dickens his notes for his best selling novel,  THE CHRISTMAS CAROL. None of these items are bad in themselves. They are even wonderful.

Too many check offs on your to – do  list turn the days into a

CLUTTER!!!!!

Here is where you get another confession. Even though I am not a Martha Stewart, Better Homes and Gardens decorator, I look at those around me with their talent for lights and culinary delights and I compare.  I see “ their creativity”  and not the value of what God wants me to share.

I am not truly a  “humbug”.

I love hot apple cider and hot cocoa.

 

I love worshiping to  Christmas Carols.

I dreamily go back in time as I watch “THE CHRISTMAS CAROL” (pick you own rendition).

The depth of this season for me is celebrating the birth of Jesus.

    

As I reflect on the  love truly born to give me life,  I can express to others what I have been given.   During the holidays when the clutter of outside activities draw life,  I then have life to share.

How does this sit with you?

  When the chaos and clutter of the season hits, as a gift do something nice for yourself  and others.

RELAX!

Does this sound comical?  It  gets chaotic,  from all the GOOD THINGS, so  do something unplanned. Sit down with a cup of hot cocoa and listen to a whole Christmas CD. If you have snow, go out and take a snowshoe walk, find a sitter and go to the local coffee shop by yourself.

Emily Freeman shared five wonderful books to start an advent adventure. Take some time to check these out and relax.  http://emilypfreeman.com/5-books-advent-reading/

Psalm 37:7 MSG

7 Quiet down before God,

   be prayerful before him.

“   

.

Share ways  you eliminate clutter? Are there areas where clutter has a grip where you cannot easily flow in what you alone love?  What you alone love can be the mission God has put in your heart.

Eliminating clutter is hard. It takes time, but it will open space for you to write and to live  “what you alone love at all”.

---

1http://www.azquotes.com/author/3975-Annie_Dillard all partial quotes “what you alone love at all” taken from this source.

All three photos of the various Christmas Carol movies were taken from Yahoo images Christmas Carol