I am cleaning my house. Not at this precise moment, but in many of the moments that have recently passed that has been my activity of choice. I don't know why. I've never had this kind of obsession about keeping things picked up and clean before. It probably has something to do with the recent change in my cleaning routine. A friend introduced me to an environmentally friendly line of cleaning products that requires nothing but water to clean most everything in your house! Simply amazing. . .
But, the point of this blog is not to sell you green cleaning products (although I should just say one more time - they are amazing!!). The point of this blog is to share what God is doing in my life in the hope that it will then draw you nearer to Him as well. So why haven't I written much lately?
I have been cleaning. My house, yes, but my heart as well. I had a great conversation with a friend yesterday who had some encouraging insight into my seemingly strange change in behavior.
It has to do with the fact that for almost 5 years I was living a rather extreme existence. I was pouring myself out in friendships, in ministry, in worship, in writing posts for this blog, and with my kids. I was running at about 100 miles per hour and with little or no time to stop and rest. For the most part, I was loving every minute of it. I'm a social girl, and I seriously love doing ministry and being with friends.
But how long do you think someone can run at 100 miles per hour before they break? How long can we live in ways that - while fun and fulfilling in the moment - do very little to breathe life, and rest, and peace, and comfort to our souls?
I'm not just staying home more often and spending more time cleaning because I'm suddenly obsessed with a clean house. I'm staying home because without even conscientiously recognizing it I am swinging the pendulum the other direction and experiencing a time of rest.
And in this brilliant revelation there is a principle that applies to us all. Sometimes when we are living at an extreme in an area of our life, we need to swing the pendulum and live at the other extreme for a while in order for healing to begin.
I still love ministry, and doing fun stuff with my kids, and hanging out with dear friends. But in this strange period of hermit-like cleanliness I think I've restored some of the energy and passion and joy that was lost in the reckless running I had been doing for years. . . I've lived at the other extreme for a bit, and I'm ready to find the middle ground. I'm not sure what that will look like, but I'm kinda excited to find out. . .
If you're living at an unhealthy extreme today, I hope that you know its alright to swing the pendulum in the other direction for a time and enter a period of rest. I have come to learn that this is where the healing begins. . . But it isn't something we do on our own. We set Christ at the forefront of our minds and hearts and seek to know Him more as we walk through all of it.
You should come over some time. We can talk about the extreme you might be struggling with over a cup of coffee and you can ooh and ahh over my clean house. . . =)
Until then, may Jesus be your guide in it all!
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