My Paisley Chair

More times than I would like to admit, when I am asked “Honey, where is (whatever)?” my response is “Have you checked the junk drawer?”. I would be totally mortified if a guest accidentally opened my kitchen junk drawer! It contains all the stuff that doesn’t have a place and a few things I just didn’t want to take the time to put in their correct places. Anyway… it is a hodgepodge of “stuff”! There is NO WAY to attempt an itemized list here.

I think the practice of having a junk drawer started when I was just a toddler, and I kept the tradition going while my kids were little. Back in the day, when the top drawer of a “Chester Drawers” was above the sight of little eyes and out of reach of little hands, my mom found it necessary to put something away quickly so that it is “out of sight – out of mind”. Later, an opportune time to find its rightful place could go unnoticed. Maybe you have done the same thing; I know I did.

A place for everything …

Even though I don’t have any “littles” around, I still throw things in the junk drawer. There is no excuse for the junk drawer, except that I just don’t take the time to put some little something in its proper place. This came to mind again this week after spending time in our RV. Small spaces necessitate the adherence to the rule “A place for everything and everything in its place”.

It is absolutely amazing how quickly a small space can get cluttered! And how quickly it can recover with just a few things put back in their designated spot.

What amazes me is how quickly I forget what I have strategically placed in the junk drawer! The “I’ll get to that later” never seems to come around until I’m looking for something else that has gone a missing.

Brain clutter and soul debris

I was taken aback when I was reminded that I also have a spiritual junk drawer. Things that I should have already dealt with, yet instead, I just tucked away for a later date. Under my breath, I pray (or possibly just hope) that they can just stay there and never have to be dealt with. Emotions, thought processes, hurt feelings, life instruction manuals, broken relationships and words too quickly spoken, those sorts of things, fill the junk drawer of my soul.

I understand some things need time to let wisdom be discovered, things to cool down, perspective and perception to be considered, and wounds to heal. More often than not, in my life, things that simmer on the back burner of my soul don’t get better all by themselves. I wish I could find the courage, and take the time, to deal with issues as they come up. Just like finding a proper place for “stuff” rather than shoving it in a junk drawer!

Don’t go there!

I can relate to an Annie Chapman song that says, “There’s a place in my heart, where even I don’t go. I’ve got some things hidden there, I don’t want no one to know.” And yet, there is that sweet gentle nudge of Holy Spirit that prompts me with “There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about. When you’re ready we’ll look in the junk drawer together.” No doubt this is in response to praying Psalms 51 & 139.

Psalms 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; And uphold me with a willing spirit.”

Psalms 139:11 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

Rather than waiting until there is a whole drawer of junk, what if I let Holy Spirit talk to me daily and deal with issues one at a time? Putting offenses in proper perspective, organizing thoughts, revealing motives, rationalizing emotions in light of the Word of God and Christ’s work in my life … this is what Holy Spirit is great at! It is easier to deal with things one at a time, and when they are little. If Holy Spirit is just waiting to be asked – what am I waiting on?

It’s the little things that live in the junk drawers. The big issues of life can’t be hidden away in the corners of a drawer! Come on! NO ONE has a drawer big enough to hide some of the junk we’d like to ignore. It’s not hidden when the drawer won’t even shut.

Just a thought …

When the junk drawer becomes a junk yard it is well beyond time to deal with it. Just a thought!

Questions I Ask Myself:

• Have I looked in the junk drawer lately? Are there any resolved issues that I have been avoiding?
• Did stuff get bigger while tucked away, out of sight, but not out of mind? Are there people I need to forgive or seek forgiveness from?
• Am I willing to answer Spirit’s nudge and let Him speak to me about things I wish would stay put?
• Can I trust His timing and gentleness to help me walk through the process to resolve issues?
• Wouldn’t an empty spiritual junk drawer be healthier for all involved?  
• Will I work with Holy Spirit to refuse collecting junk that clutters my soul?

Additional Scriptures for Consideration:

• Proverbs 4:23 – “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
• Ephesians 4:31 – “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”
• Colossians 3:8 – “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”
• James 1:19-20 – “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”
• Romans 12:2 – “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
• Philippians 4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”