Having a clear out

Today I went into the wardrobe and I cleared out the clothes I haven't worn for years.   I've meant to do it for years.  I've stood and looked at those clothes several times and then shut the wardrobe door again and left them where they were.  I've convinced myself that as some of them were barely worn it wouldn't be right to get rid of them.  I've told myself that I will fit into the too-small ones again sometime soon.   I've vowed to sell them, or find someone with my taste and my size to whom I could give them.   And they have just stayed in the cupboard.   Until today.   Today they finally made it to my favourite charity shop.

There seem to be two sorts of people in the world.  Those who have no stuff and those who have lots of stuff.  I have always been a ' stuff' person.  I like stuff.  Stuff comes in handy.  Alot of the things I keep are crafty things.  Painting paraphenalia,  etc. And music making stuff like various instruments and lots and lots of sheet music and music books.   But I'm already making excuses.  Nobody needs drawers of old felt tipped pens and crayons.  Nobody needs  78 pairs of socks ( although that's Keith not me.  I probably only have 35 pairs :-)  )   I've just never been good at letting go of things.  I'm a ' that might come in handy' or ' that was such a bargain' person.   I'm quite bad with books.   I buy them for the kids all the time and then they don't read them!!  Ho hum  At least there's a bit more space in the wardrobe today.

Advent is about preparation.  Looking forward to the day when Jesus comes back and recognising that we need to be ready.  Part of the getting ready is getting rid of stuff we don't need.  When you move house you don't take your years of accumulated rubbish with you - you take the opportunity whilst packing up your belongings to get rid of things you don't want to take with you to the new place.
Similarly in getting ready for Jesus we need to be getting rid of the stuff we wont need in our new home.   Will we need our grudges and resentments, our jealousies and ambitions?  Will we need bad tempers and impatience stubbornness or greed?  No, I don't think so.

Metaphorically I think we all have closets we don't visit very often.  Places where we have stuffed things we cant face dealing with, or don't want to get rid of.  Perhaps things which were once useful and precious to us but which now are irrelevant - but we don't quite want to actually get rid of them.
Advent is a good time to take stock and be a bit ruthless.   Lots of people in the run up to Christmas go through their kids toys and throw out all the old stuff so they can make way for the new presents the kids will get at Christmas.   This year maybe we should be inviting Jesus into our cupboards and hidey holes asking Him to help us get rid of things which displease Him or which are tangling us up or holding us back.   For everything he removes, His Holy Spirit will pour in to fill the gap.  And we shall be better, more prepared people as a result.