Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:11
The clutter has me cornered. If it doesn’t relent soon, I will lash out in fury, in a desperate attempt to save myself from drowning in it. Its gradual accumulation is the fault of no one person or circumstance. Band concerts, theatre productions, auditions, fundraisers, and the start of spring sports have all lent a hand.
I need space. I need space to think. To breathe. To feel at ease. I walk through the house and begin to make things right, somehow resisting the temptation to straighten the piles and simply move them from one surface to another. I focus on one task at a time. I find the wire needed to hang a picture that has been leaning against the wall for weeks. I recycle the catalogues that have claimed squatters’ rights on the front hall table. I gather scattered shoes, hats, scarves, papers, and intentions and send them to their proper homes.
As I follow each task to its end, I become aware of a kind of prayerful rhythm. I clear the spaces around me, and sense the spaces within me lighten as well. And hidden behind the clutter, I discover an almost desperate yearning.I open my heart, entreating God to create within me space enough for the holiness of this week.
copyright © Anne E. Kitch 2013
