Spiritual Spring Cleaning
One week ago we had a beautiful late winter, four-inch snowfall. Yesterday we had severe thunderstorms pass through. Today it was eighty degrees. I would say, with eighty degrees, thunderstorms, and March 20—Spring has officially arrived.
Time to open up the windows and let the glorious fresh spring air in! But when you open the windows, you see all the dust and mess that collected on the windowsill all winter. Next you notice the spotted and streaked windows and the dust on the inside window casing. Then you just can’t bear the thought of the fresh clean air crossing through that portal in cased with the dirty buildup deposited by months of dust, wind, and rain. So you arm yourself with your best cleaning tools and march into battle against the grungy leftover winter grime known as spring cleaning.
Spring cleaning however, has taken on a much larger connotation. It means not only cleaning out the muck left over from winter, but also giving everything you own a thorough, deep cleansing. True spring cleaning includes not only washing windows, but also cleaning curtains, scrubbing flooring, and completely dusting everything. The process can even include going through belongings and removing anything you haven’t needed or used in the past five years. Considering that everything you own is connected to you and taking up space and energy, doesn’t it make sense that removing unnecessary belongings would lighten your load and liberate you from the weight of keeping track of “stuff” that you need not be burdened with? It is essential that we lighten the load now and then; therefore, we have spring cleaning.
Perhaps it’s the reawakening of nature in the spring that causes us to want to do the same with our homes, giving them a fresh clean start for the change of season. This annual time of cleaning is marked with the coming of spring. We check and change the batteries in our smoke detectors each time we set our clocks up or back. Every possible occasion has been given a specific date on the calendar on which to be celebrated. So for those who tend to do things annually, shouldn’t there be a designated time of spiritual renewal as well? We could all conceivably use a personal spiritual spring cleaning. But, where to begin…
Arm yourself with the most powerful spiritual weaponry you have, set a goal to become more as one with the Divine Spirt, and bring on the spring cleaning! Begin with forgiveness. How many years are you going to carry around an event that caused you pain, resentment, or even anger? You know, these things usually have only one holder. If you are the one harboring these feelings, the other party is many times unaware that the feelings exist. These feelings gain you nothing and they weigh so much. Forgive them and let them go. Free yourself. Forgiveness is often the first step on a journey toward healing and ultimately peace.
Additional tools to accomplish this spiritual renewal include faith, hope, and love. Remember, the Bible tells us that the greatest of these is love. When you reflect on the fact that we are spiritual beings directly linked to our Divine Creator, having faith that God will guide us toward our true higher self—meaning that we wholly accept and rely on our true spiritual nature to steer our course in life, it is much easier to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. Know that there truly is hope for a purely spiritual life to come when we reside in the Light.
The greatest of these powers is love. When you complete your spiritual spring cleaning, there will be so much more room for love. Love for God; for your family; for your friends and co-workers; for all creatures; for those you may not know who are in need and who are suffering. Love is the most powerful force you hold. Use it wisely.
Keep in mind that love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.
Spiritual Spring Cleaning is a process. It does not happen overnight. The important thing is that you start and actually work toward a goal. If you have questions, you can write to me on the contact page.. If you would like to share ideas or examples of your own Spiritual Spring Cleaning, you are welcome to and encouraged to do so by clicking on the comment(s) link at the top of the blog.
Thank you to the readers who shared their pet stories in the comments on the last blog post. I have heard from blog readers that the comments were enjoyable to read and much appreciated!
As Always,
Fully Embrace Your Spirit
