Happy Cleaning

It has been said that a messy workspace is a sign of creativity. I don't know if that is technically accurate but I can tell you that I will hang my worn, paint splattered hat on that premise. While I am working, or painting, or crafting, or whatever-ing…I am comfortable in a sea of materials and piles.

Bowls of paint under plastic wrap, notes scribbled on scraps of paper, and half done projects all bid me welcome. Before you comment on the mess I have just described,  I will tell you emphatically that I know where everything is, and respectfully I say to you, "Don't touch a thing!" It may look crazy to you, but my brain has registered each item for pending use.  I’m also not cleaning up until I’m done. So, if that project spans a few days, get comfortable with the happy disaster.

But, the gears switch fast when the project ends. Now it's time to put supplies away, catalog resources, and wipe down the surfaces. This is where organization gets to be king. I have a place for every little thing. So much so that if I detailed that for you - well, you may think me a little obsessive.

When I moved into my house 11 years ago, I thoughtfully organized my work spaces to accommodate both the chaos of creativity and the necessity for good organization. The only area I could not tackle was the garage. My budget kept me from making those ideas a reality, but I looked forward to the way that space would one day develop. I dreamed of a work bench, hand tools hanging on peg board, organized bins of fasteners, and a personally curated collection of power tools so I could make whatever random creation my brain could come up with. It took years, but eventually that happened. It wasn't perfect, but it was perfect for me. I found that yard sales were a great source of tools and gadgets and I was always on the lookout for my next find. Coming home with my latest treasure and then seeing it in it's perfect spot was absolute satisfaction to me.  And, taking a long whiff of sawdust and oil as I would walk through the garage door even smelled like success.

Then, we suffered the storm. Not a storm of weather, but rather one of people. The piles left behind were not like my familiar piles of creativity, rather they were physical evidence of broken dreams and broken lives. It took months to clean up the piles. I used a physical broom and an emotional vacuum. Once the carnage was removed from the garage, I closed the door. Occasionally I would creep in to search for a tool or a gadget. But there was no organization. No pegboard. No sawdust. No productivity. And often, not even the tool I was looking for. Every inch held a bad memory and I could not be in the space physically without feeling the weight spiritually. So I ignored it. Maybe if I didn't go in there the memories would disappear. My garage sat like a tomb.

Over a year passed. Then the activity of my Baby Blou Shave Ice trailer (https://www.lou320.com/babyblou) left me scrambling for a new kind of organization. I had to find a place to store supplies. It had to have quick access for loading my truck and it had to be a secure. Clearly, I needed the garage. Finally, I decided to tackle it.

This wasn't like the joy of putting things away after a successful project. This was diving into a mess with lots of unknowns, uneasy emotions, and an unsure outcome. I reminded myself that I am never alone. By His Spirit, Jesus walks with me, so I took a deep breath and we walked in. I didn't have a plan so I decided I would just work the circumference of the space. Every time I picked something up, I would find a place for it. This meant that picking up a screwdriver on one side of the garage meant reorganizing the pegboard on the other side. It was going to take a long time.

As I worked, my mind flooded with memories. Some made me mad and some made me sad. I worked in silence except for my conversation with Jesus. The time moved faster than I expected. I  didn't think I would get the job done in one day so I was really surprised when I looked around at a finished, organized, clean space. It was done and I was really pleased. The biggest joy was the emotional relief, I felt lighter. As we talked, Jesus had handled my memories and emotions. Some we resolved and others I handed off to Him - the real King. This was freedom and wow did it feel good!

What are the chances you have a "garage" that needs cleaned out? Maybe not a literal garage - but some dark place that holds bad memories and feels like an emotional vacuum. I can tell you that ignoring it won't fix it. In fact we don't really forget that stuff anyway. It sits there just waiting to bleed all over us when something or someone makes us remember. Wounds like that have to be healed.

The Bible teaches that God is our healer and says that through the wounds of Jesus we can be healed. (Exodus 15:26, Isaiah 53:5 and a whole bunch more) I'm here to tell you that is true! So my encouragement to you is to take a breath, and invite Jesus to walk into your "garage" and start cleaning. If He asks you to dig out an old wound it's because He can heal it. He can bring organization to the mess, new life to the undone projects, and freedom to move forward.

Happy Cleaning.