Spring Cleaning Prepares the Way by Brenda Leyland

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Would you be surprised to learn that God takes an active interest in your Spring cleaning rituals?

Spring cleaning, you ask? Of course, we know that our Heavenly Dad cares about all the details of our lives, but surely not how we clean out the corners of our winter-emerging homes?

Well, I believe He does care. Not only because He knows all that concerns us, but more widely, because everything we do, or don't do, impacts our destiny and, being as inter-connected as we are with one another, the destinies of others.

Each one of us has a greater calling and purpose, one that reaches past our temporal lives into future generations, into eternity. And whether or not we are able to take advantage of the God-given opportunities when they arise will partly depend on how prepared we are -- which includes how we keep our lives and homes in order.

We all know it takes a lot of time and effort to maintain our physical lives. We have our homes, yards, and vehicles, plus all our accumulated stuff. The more material possessions we have, the more time it takes to look after them. And, you've probably noticed, the more stuff that's piled up and out of order in our lives -- in the garage, in the basement, the office, barn, attic, and wherever else, the more effort is needed to maintain and find it when we're looking for something that's 'got to be around here somewhere'.

Which means that the more time we spend on these maintenance activities, the less time we have for our Father's Kingdom business, for writing, for instance. We all know time is at a premium. Our personal clocks are ticking, as is this old world's. We aren't eager to spend all our days consumed with only temporal activities, looking after that which will eventually end up on an ash heap.

Over the years, I have felt His gentle promptings to simplify my life more and more, to let go of those things in my life that take up space, time, effort, energy and emotion, yet give little value in return. More recently, I feel that prompting again, as He's encouraged me to keep on top of my homemaking activities. I'm to set my house in order, so that I will be in that place of readiness.

I don't want to be the caretaker of the wrong details. So, for me, that's what spring cleaning is all about. It's clearing out the junk, bringing order to my corners of chaos, and clearing the way for me to focus on the right details, those details that matter to the plans God has for me.

And in all this, I am ever mindful of the words Jesus spoke when He said that without Him we can do nothing. When it comes to clearing out my bookshelves, sorting out wardrobes, culling accumulated gadgets, tools and what-nots, I invite Him to be my Seer and Helper. After all, He sees and knows exactly what I'll need and enjoy in the future, and what truly is excess and clutter.

So, are you inspired to get to your Spring Cleaning? What if the opportunity you've waited for all your life arrives this summer? Will you be ready?

Brenda lives in Alberta with her husband and their sweet tortoiseshell cat, Miss Kitty. When Brenda's not watching for glimpses of heaven in unexpected places, she's probably writing about them on her blog It's A Beautiful Life.

Are You Getting Ready? by Marcia Laycock

Wow! December already?! Has it crept up on you?

Things often catch us off guard. We get wrapped up in day to day living and time slips by. Suddenly we arrive at a point we may not be prepared to face.

My eldest will celebrate her twenty-fourth birthday today. Twenty-four! A few years ago I wrote a similar piece when she turned eighteen. That was a milestone I had a hard time facing and now we’ve arrived at another – she is going to be married in July.

I’ve been expecting this for some time, but somehow I don’t think I really was prepared for those words, “Mom, I’m getting married!” I admit I'm not ready. My daughter is planning her wedding and her first day of kindergarten seems like yesterday. There are so many things I wanted to do with her, things I wanted to teach her, things I wanted to say, but now there just isn't enough time. She's an adult launching into the world to live her own life, and that's as it should be. But I can't help wishing she were only turning sixteen or fourteen. I can’t help wishing that she was still a little girl under our roof. That would give me time to get used to the idea that some day she'd be leaving. That would give me time to prepare ... or would it?

Somehow I suspect the day would still be a surprise, no matter how much it was delayed.

There is a day that has been delayed for centuries, according to scripture. When Jesus predicted his death, he also predicted his return. He tried to prepare his friends for his leaving, and tried to tell them to prepare for the day when he would come back. The words didn't sink in. When Jesus was arrested, they fled in terror. For hundreds of years since, preparations for his return have been sadly lacking.

In Matthew 24:44-51, Jesus tells a story about a master who leaves his house in the charge of a servant. He asks: "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household, to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns."

Who is that servant? It's you. It's me. Part of the preparation for the return of Christ is to care for those around us, both physically and spiritually. We will be accountable when Jesus returns. He ends his story with a warning: "But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'my master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

The day will be a surprise, to all of us. It could be today. Are you ready?