Packing Up

Good morning Trinity Tribe,

Those of you who are lucky enough to not have had to move will not really identify with what I am saying here, but try to imagine what it is like! ;-)

I spent the a bit of the morning sorting and packing the rest of the girls' clothes today. The girls have finally outgrown all the little kid socks, so they headed to the trash bin. I pulled out clothes that Hanna and Kenna have never worn and put them in the donate pile. And I packed what was left. It is amazing how heavy tween's clothing can be when it is piled up in a box!

My next task is to clean out the filing cabinet upstairs. That will be a treat. I did sort out all the manuals for the appliances that will stay with the house when we move the other day. However, I will still have to go through many file folders to see if the paper inside needs to be saved or if it is safe to recycle it.

How often do we clean out our hearts and our minds like we clean out drawers when we move or when the seasons change? Do we examine old hurt feelings and decide that the issue just isn't important anymore and then forgive the perpetrator? Are we willing to examine those things we have done to hurt others and ask forgiveness ourselves? Similarly, do we pull out those feelings of joy or happiness that we have experienced and savor them? Do we, perhaps, share those memories with people and let them know that they mattered? Someone I know was blessed by a letter she received yesterday. The person who wrote thanked her for the fond memories they shared and how my friend had invested in her life. That letter meant a lot to my friend.

If we are willing to pack up those hard feelings, our lives will be better. If we are able to forgive those people who have hurt us, those people will no longer have power over us. If we let people know how much they have meant to us, they will be richly blessed.

Imagine if you received this phrase in a letter that Paul writes to the Phillipian church in chapter 1:

3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

So, let's all do a little sorting in the drawers of our hearts as July comes to a close. Let's let go of anger and hurt feelings and enjoy the freedom God gives us. Let's let other people know that they mean something to us. Let's let them know that when they walked along side us, it made the journey easier and more enjoyable.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!