Spring Cleaning - Heart Style

At our house we opened the windows this week to let the fresh air in and the stale air out. The smell was so good! Green shoots are appearing around town. A lovely yellow bouquet of daffodils  sits on my desk. They were closed and still at the first of the week. By now, they are opened up completely. It's almost like they are gulping the sunshine and reaching out their petals to catch all the sun they can.

We concluded a teaching about being "discontent" this past Sunday. I have to say my discontent has been challenged. It's like a burr under my saddle; I can't figure how to stay in the same comfort zone and still enjoy freshness. You think God really wants those two things to exist at the same time? (If we were having this conversation in person, you'd probably be shaking your head.)

We have this dilemma - what do we do with the nagging burr? The longing of freshness makes us want to search more than usual. Winter bears the seed but the scent of freshness stirs birth from barrenness. Almost overnight the shoot separates the earth to find its way to newness. Stretching for warmth and open spaces, it is empowered to move past obstacles. How many times have you seen this event happen in the most unlikely places? Remember seeing some green plant (or weed) pressing through something that it really shouldn't? (Some of you might be thinking about racing to the garage for weed killer about now.)   That plant has grit!

Matthew 6:21 says, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." I long for the freshness of God in my heart. I wonder if my treasure brings freshness to my heart? Could the things I think are treasures actually be a source of my discontent? If my heart is struggling to find the freshness of God and experience His wide open spaces of freedom, I wonder if there's a hint of discontent smoldering from what has been my treasure. Where is my grit?

Here's a dare: (I double dog dare you!) Lay one of your treasures aside for 21 days and see if it still holds such a love in your life. Can you go without a movie for 21 days? How about skipping that video game for 21 days? How about passing on the Starbucks, taking that money and tossing it in a jar each day; ask God to show you what to do with the money on day 22.

Father, Reveal the thing I treasure most . . . then maybe the thing I treasure second to the most, etc. Show me which one would be Your choice for me to lay aside for 21 days. There is a winter seed that wants to be birthed to a life of freshness. Pull me from the shelf of discontent onto the 21 day journey of  laying aside one of my treasures. I trust You to lead me into the wide open space of Your freshness in the days ahead.