Cleaning Closets; Packing Light

Cleaning Closets; Packing Light

We spend most of our lives not thinking about Heaven.  But God brings moments; maybe days, weeks, years - - that cause us to think of little else; when all the things that have captivated our minds and hearts begin to fall behind. He designs some circumstance to reach into our backpacks and toss out our rows of ducks; to-do lists, irritabilities, righteous indignations, meaningless differences, self-glorifying accomplishments. They all tumble and scatter without fanfare to the side of the trail like a handful of pebbles. Once the dictators of our direction, now still and silent, no longer out in front guiding us on our hateful, crooked paths; instead, buried under leaves and sticks, hopefully destined for erosion. They leave their marks - - a part of our striations. They shape us, but they are not the big picture. Eternity, where we will be like Christ, is the big picture, and God wants us to see it.

Aging, for some of us, is a pebble-tosser. Hopefully, it brings wisdom to discern the supplies needed to live from all the nonessential weight.  Growing old, of course, is gradual and allows us time to ponder eternity, but sickness is of a different sort. Sickness reaches in and scoops out the gravel in a hurry. It comes at any age, in any stage of life. It feels like an interruption, but in light of forever, maybe it’s really more like an emergency brake. All of a sudden, we have to stop.  We have to be still and work on the most basic things - - breathing, heart beats, eating, digesting, sleeping. We are intent to grab hold of the plain things of life while God is tossing out pebbles.

In sickness, we are exposed. Physically, we are laid bare. People we’ve never met see and touch every part of our flesh. Bodily fluids, once hidden inside now run through tubes into various see-through containers.

Emotionally, we are laid bare. Tears, anxieties, anger, bitterness - - they all may come to the surface, as we deal with medical interventions and all sorts of discomforts.  For some of us, these emotions are more humiliating than all the bodily fluids in the world.

Spiritually we are laid bare. We snap at those who offer kindness. We don’t trust God with our lives, we may even feel angry with Him for this inconvenience - - this battle that we did not expect, desire, or feel as if we deserved. Sometimes, we cower and rage in the face of Heaven. 

But this circumstance, this part of the trail, is not just for the one who is ill. Sitting in the corner, trying to keep out of the way of all the tubes and cords and hospital staff, there is a daughter watching, forced to depend on God to heal, and to toss out her pebbles as well.  She too is thinking of Heaven.  It has moved out in front and is leading the way. She goes to the home of her loved one, to prepare, hopefully, for his return. It’s a familiar place for her - - was once her home, but she hasn’t been there in awhile. It has become a home full of clutter; void of people. She sees that the floors and furniture are dusty. She opens closets and sees they are filled with things from long ago; clothes no one wears, books no one reads. She sees a pencil drawing on the wall - - probably her own sneaky childhood artwork. The cupboards are full of quick, but unnourishing foods.

It was all those pebbles that kept her away, they seemed so heavy - - impossible to carry. She’d forgotten he was carrying some too. 

She bags unused items, tosses them in the trash, hauls them to the Salvation Army. She dusts and sweeps and mops, even decorates.  As she works, she hears a clattering from behind; it grows more and more faint. She looks back for a moment and sees those silly little pebbles. Hmm . . . all this time, she’d thought they were bigger - - more like boulders. How could she have been so deceived? 

She has an easier yoke now, a lighter burden - - just as God intends. He has turned her  eyes toward eternity. His promises are out in front, so she will pack light for this journey Home. She will strive not to lug around bitter contempt or regrets, but if they happen to show up in her pack, she will gladly open it, lay it bare, and invite the Father to reach in and clean her up. Faced with death, both she and her loved one grasped at life.  They were made for it, after all, eternity nestles in their hearts by the hand of God.

We are all made to live forever, but in God’s mercy, not in this state - - not tainted by sin in a corrupt world.  Living here, as is, would be like an eternal asthma attack, always struggling to breath freely, but never able. What are you carrying on your back?  What weighs you down and keeps you from glorious longings and imaginings of Heaven?  What’s stopping you from loving, helping, sharing? No matter what those things are, I can promise you, that in light of an eternal weight of glory, they are only pebbles. Let them go. Clean your closets and pack light.