Decluttering is a big business right now. There are books and gurus to help you get rid of all the material junk you accumulate. Decluttering is good. But how do we declutter our spiritual lives? The religious idea of conversion is a form of spiritual decluttering. From the Latin, it means “to turn around”. To turn away from sin
(the things that keep you from God) and turn towards God, the source of all good. Right now, it seems like there are many obstacles in our path, not the least of which are despair and hopelessness. Again and again, we are presented with scenes of violence, hatred and death. Mass shootings and famine continue to flash at us on TV and media screens. Crisis after crisis paralyzes us into states of near hopelessness. How many times do I hear people say: I don’t know what to do or I stopped listening to the news because it’s so depressing? I understand that. I’ve been overwhelmed by a tsunami of sadness too. But you can’t give up and pull your head back into your shell.
First, stop and take a moment to breathe, to calm your fears. Second, realize that things are not hopeless, the world goes on. Here are three things that help me in this crazy journey through life: Prayer, thankfulness and action.
Prayer. Just stop for a moment, breathe and take some quiet time to calm your fears. Find some sacred places that speak to you. I like to go to the park to pray. Just putting myself in the presence of God’s beautiful Creation calms me. Centering Space is also one of those places. My life, and my mind are so cluttered at times, that I often need to be in a place that just radiates peace and quiet simplicity.
Be thankful. Be thankful for all the good things in your life, for all the good people in your life. And pray for them all, the good and the bad.
And then do something! Write a letter to your government representative, donate some food to a local pantry or food bank, volunteer…somewhere or somehow! ~ Kathy Collins
