Those who know me well know that I can be exsparating, but I also exasparate myself. This is particularly true when it comes to the room in my home that serves as my office. The desk is littered with papers and there are several piles of papers on the floor. So you will imagine that from time to time important items seem to disappear and – worse still – might even get overlooked. This could include a cheque that should have been banked, a letter that should have been acknowledged, or a form that should have been sent off.
Of course, I know the solution and I have promised myself that each day I will endeavour to put away (or throw away) more items than the number I add daily to the piles. But, frankly, I’m not too sure that I will succeed in keeping that promise, even though I know full well the value of doing so.
Of course, some who read this will take comfort as they too have cluttered homes. But the real reason I am baring my soul to you is that far too many of us have lives so cluttered with unimportant things that there is no space to find the things that really matter. Sadly some of these will remain overlooked and neglected among the piles of lesser things or even among the rubbish of life.
But what might these more important things be whose cry for attention is stifled by the trivial? It might be the giving of quality time to family members, friends and neighbours. It might be the need to express our appreciation for the gift that is themselves as part of our lives. It will almost certainly be the need to give God a chance to speak into our lives and to respond to his wisdom.
Occasionally I find among the papers that clutter my desk something that I wish with all my heart that I had responded to long before. But I hope that I will never regret overlooking time with God among the things that clutter my life.
Imagine the emotions of turning up on judgement day only to discover that you left, ignored among the clutter of your life, God's gracious invitation to sort out your life.
