Clean sweep

Monday in the Fifth Week of Lent
Feast of St. Joseph

Let them be like chaff before the wind,
and let the angel of the Lord drive them away.
Psalm 35:5

I pick up the shoes, the sweater, and the scarf and head toward the closet. Along the way, I toss the dirty socks into the laundry basket and put the book back on the shelf. The water glass and the empty coffee cup need to make their way to the kitchen where, of course, the dishwasher must be emptied of the clean dishes before it can be loaded with the dirty ones. I continue my journey around the house, picking up and putting right.

Some days, I wish my soul could be straightened up in the same way. What would it be like to walk through its compartments and clean up the nagging thoughts, sweep away misgivings, put away the spiritual clutter so that there would be more room for God to move freely in my life?

I stop and take a breath. And I pray for God’s spirit to move through me, clearing the doubts from my day, like chaff that the wind blows away.