Spring Cleaning

Rikki Permenter, MAMFC, Th. M.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

Psalms 51:10

The first day of Spring is creeping up on you. March is right around the corner. The weather is about to change. Before you know it the flowers will be blooming, allergens will be flying, and the compulsive need to spring clean will over take you. It happens every year, as the season changes people feel the need to get their “stuff” together. This year when you start to feel the need to clean up and out around your home remember to check for intangible “stuff” in your life that might need to go, too.

People need differing degrees of two types of structure in their lives, internal structure and external structure. When the urge to spring clean strikes people usually focus on external structure. They being to situate things in their external environment so they are structured in a way they can appreciate. Some people are highly structured and need things just so, others are less structured and can tolerate flexibility and uncertainty. When focusing on external structure each person feels “done” once they reach the optimal level of structure they desire. When it comes to internal structure, people seek to feel as if they have things in life under control. Sometimes people confuse the two and no matter how much spring cleaning or organizing they do it never seems finished.

When March comes around and you being to clean out the garage or junk drawer remember to look inward for things you may need to get rid of. This can include many types of things like unhealthy relationships, unhealthy habits, and poor coping skills. This spring don’t do it halfway. Do a full Spring cleaning inside and out.

This article can be found in print in the monthly Baptist Association of Southeast Louisiana newsletter.