The other day a person asked me where I find sanctuary, the answer was right on the tip of my tongue.  All of us have a sense of where that place of sanctuary in our lives.  Sanctuary is a place of peace, a place of strong connection with God, and a refuge.  It may be an actually physical place that we seek or it may be a place within ourselves that we go and meet with God.

     For me sanctuary is not a regular physical place.  Though I routinely would gravitate to places with water, particularly the ocean.  I find great connection there, but sanctuary for me is more of something that I always have with me.  Sanctuary is a place of listening for me, a place of silence and solitude.  It is a place that God reaches out to me and I back to God.

     To find this place of sanctuary we must begin by putting ourselves aside.  Laying aside distraction, even those that seem to be good.  we live in a world, particularly in the west, where being busy is one of the biggest hindrances to us having sanctuary.  We need to Ask God to show us what to lay down and what is important.  All of us have choices to make as we seek  refuge with God.

     It is not a place that I get to, by my own self, though I certainly need to choose to be there and to take part in what God is doing in my life.  The choices that I need to make relate to how I live before God and others.  How I listen and choose to follow what God would ask of me.  It requires of me to put away my own agenda and expectations, my own desires.  Even if I don’t seem to hear from God in that silence, I need to be ok with that and not be there just for some experience.  I still need to maintain an attitude that desires that relationship, reaching out to God, straining to hear what he might say.  It requires me to be steadfast and faithful, knowing all the while that God is steadfast and faithful to me.

     How is it that you find this space with God?  Is there a particular part of creation that draws you into this place with God?

     Lately, I have been thinking about clutter.  For the past few days it has been on my radar.  It has been talked about on radio and television,and I have seen it in a couple of magazines.  It really stuck in my mind, when people from our church helped remove dumpsters full of clutter from and elderly persons home.  Apparently, all of us have clutter to one degree or another.

     we gather or accumulate clutter in our homes, we pay for additional storage to keep things that we think are important or will use.  Clutter, is not necessarily about trash, It’s really more about keeping things that we have deemed important to us at one time, or keeping things we think that we will use.  Take a walk through your home or your garage and see just what it is that you have.  Now look at what you have that you appreciate on a regular basis, or use regularly.  What you have left can be considered clutter.

     So why remove the clutter?  By getting rid of clutter we create space for change.  There becomes an opportunity for renewal and growth, basically we experience a freedom. 

     Physically we are affected by clutter, but we also accumulate clutter in our lives that affects us spiritually.  What we hang on to, says much about who we are.  We hold on to sin, anger and bitterness.  We carry past traumas and messages that have stunted our development as people and our ability to grow in Christ.  We hold onto expectations and past triumphs that keep us at times from moving forward.  All of these are a form of spiritual clutter.

     With the help of the Holy Spirit, we need to take a look at the things that we hold onto in our lives.  We need to ask him to show us  where the clutter is, and to help us begin to create a healthy space for growth and change.  In the process we need to ask for the renewal that he will bring into our lives, to cause us to be all that he desires for us to be.  We need to have attitudes of openness and a willingnesson our parts for this to take place.  Scripture tells us that “where our treasure is, our hearts are”

     Where have you found clutter?  What is it that you hang on to?

Picture: Crowded, by nate one

     When we go on a journey, we take many things with us.  We all carry things that we think we need, will need, and just things that we think we have to carry.  Have you ever gone to the beach only to see those who have brought everything from home with them?  The tents, the chairs, coolers, radios, umbrellas, barbecues, anything and everything.  How about the backpacking trip where we have these huge burdens that we carry as we go up and down the trail?  

     A current activity that encourages traveling light is “Fastpacking.” Kate Siber, in this months Trail Runner, quotes Agnes Stowe who says, The point of  going lighter is to be able to go farther, faster, or just to enjoy yourself more.  The concept of being more nimble and responsive is not new.  The author of Hebrews writes,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

     God is telling us to drop the weight.  His desire is that we too become more responsive and agile in our faith.  Able to move and travel the distance that God calls each one of us to.  We carry many things on our spiritual journey that slow us down, and in some cases make it almost impossible to move and go, as God wills.  Spend some time this weekend, and see what you can put aside to travel lighter.  Cut the extras and choose what is important and necessary that you will carry.

     What have you been carrying that needs to be put down?  What slows your progress on the trail?  What has been keeping you from noticing and enjoying your journey with God?

Picture: The Battle for the Title of “Karyada King”, by MVI