Monday, November 14, 2011

Lessons From My 20s: My Heart Needs Regular Editing

In December I turn 30. November is a reflection of lessons I have learned in the past decade. Today's lesson: My Heart Needs Regular Editing.

Some things just need to be thrown out. Like this unicorn.

In the past decade I have moved 13 times. Sadly, I am the quickest packer you have ever met. With every box I pack I end up doing an inventory of the things I own. It is incredible the amount of things you can accumulate over time. 

The good thing about moving so much I that I am forced to sift through all my belongings and get rid of the trash. I have learned that I need to do the same with my heart.

I carry around so much stuff internally. Some stuff is great & I need to hold onto it for the rest of my life. Memories, promises from God, dreams...good stuff. I need to make sure that it isn't lost in the shuffle. The valuable things need to handled with care. They should be displayed in a prominent place, reminding me that such valuable things are in my possession. 

When I pack up I come across other things that are great, but I don't need them anymore. Things I don't use, but are still useful. I give them away.  I should do that with things I carry internally too. I can be a pack rat with ideas, insight, and  dreams that aren't mine to fulfill...I hold on to them as things I want to do. It might fit someone else better than it fits me...but I don't want to give it up. I like to hoard. The only problem is that my heart starts to get cluttered. I can be confused about what I should give my time & energy to. When I start feeling that way, I know I need to give some things up and let others run with them.

For every box I pack it seems that I fill up a trash bag (or recycle box) full of trash that I have collected. Random stuff that just takes up space. Just 'stuff'. My heart gets full of 'stuff' too. I can fill internally busy and anxious when random things begin to clutter. I get irritated that my view is blocked and my focus is distracted by all the 'things'. I gotta get the clutter out of my heart.

I need to edit what is inside. Get rid of the things that are trash. Get rid of the things that are just taking up space and weighing me down. Most of all, I need to remember the treasures that my heart holds. The people I love, the dreams I am called to and the promises of God that I hold on to. My heart needs editing or I loose my vision.




1 comment:

  1. Awesome, Liz! So so good! I love the connection between moving and the state of your heart. God is always moving us around around and cleaning "house" even when we don't move anywhere, physically. A great idea for making your thoughts easier to process and apply ourselves.

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