Spring cleaning isn’t just for houses …

Tis the season for spring cleaning!

For some, they’re familiar with the phrase “spring cleaning” but have never really engaged in it, that was an activity others took up. But for many people, spring cleaning is an annual event that initially fosters either dread or delight when excuses are pushed aside and the work of deep cleaning your house begins.

For example, Dr. Philip McCarty describes the annual tradition of spring cleaning in his household during his childhood:

When I was growing up in southwest Arkansas, our family observed a time-honored ritual every year which was affectionately known as “spring cleaning.” Unlike the normal cleaning from week to week, which amounted to dusting and vacuuming and generally straightening up, spring cleaning was an all-out assault on a year’s worth of filth and clutter. It was commonly referred to as “deep cleaning,” and it consisted, among other things, of mopping the hardwood floors and applying a fresh coat of Johnson’s Wax; removing the screens and cleaning the windows, inside and out; scrubbing the commode, lavatory and bathtub (thankfully, we only had one bathroom for the five of us); wiping down the Venetian blinds, top and bottom, one blade at a time; hanging the throw rugs over the clothes line and pounding them with a broom to dislodge the dirt; cleaning the oven, polishing the furniture and hanging out the blankets and quilts and comforters to be refreshed by the warm sunlight and gentle spring breeze.

The precise date for spring cleaning was a mystery to us kids. It coincided with an alarm that went off somewhere in the deep recesses of my mother’s subconscious mind. Life would be flowing along rather smoothly when, all of a sudden, usually at the breakfast table, she would announce to the family that it was time for spring cleaning. There was no debate, of course — the alarm had sounded, and that was that. Oh, we could protest and say we had other things to do, but we knew it would be futile — come Saturday morning we would be conscripted and put to work. Like it or not, we were expected to pitch in and do our part until the job was complete.

It can take a lot of work to maintain a home and whatever property, large or small, that’s its on. Which is precisely why much of that work is minimized throughout the year until, finally, the occupants can’t escape the fact that a deep cleaning is needed.

We do the same thing with our lives, too.

It takes a lot to live our lives, so we tend to push a lot of things to the side until we finally can’t escape the fact that maybe parts of who we are need a “spring cleaning” as much or more than our homes do. Pastor Jack Kale came to that conclusion after a neighbor’s spring cleaning motivated him to do some cleaning of his own:

The wooden fence around our yard was black from mildew in parts, but it was mostly sun bleached gray. The grime was heaviest around the sprinkler heads where Florida humidity turns the porous wood into a mildew factory. I had grown accustomed to the funk and had gotten so used to its presence that it didn’t bother me anymore. In fact, my fence looked just like everybody else’s in the neighborhood. They are all about the same age and have had the same exposure, with the exception of a few newer homes that have been built. My privacy fence was awful and I was ok with it.

Enter my next door neighbor. Ed decides to do something radical. He didn’t ask me or anything. He just decided that he wanted to pressure wash his fence. As one of the few folks who moved north to be here, he came from south Florida about a year ago and seems to have fresh eyes for our neighborhood and town. He hated the grimy fence and decided to do something about it. Over a three day period he pressure washed all that grime off the wooden planks that separate us as neighbors. The boards looked brand spanking new … on his side.

My side looked even worse in comparison. I was convicted. It wasn’t so much a “keeping up with the Jones’s” thing (their name is Weiss, after all). Rather, I was convicted by my years of apathy and inaction. Why had I neglected this part of my yard? I take such great pains to keep my flower beds weeded and shrubbery trimmed; yet I had let this large and visible component of my home go completely unattended for the eight years I have lived here.

Humbly, I knocked on Ed’s door and asked to borrow his pressure washer. He agreed and now my fence looks as good as new, too. In three days, I have pressure washed my fence, the soffit, a couple of palm trees, the concrete around the pool slide, the old pool box, and some of the brick on the north side of the house. I’m in love with pressure washing, now. I think I’m a pressure washing addict and wonder if I should begin to seek treatment!

In all seriousness, I am learning some important life lessons. Some of our most disgusting parts of ourselves we have already taken for granted. We get so accustomed to them that we don’t even try to change until someone new in our lives brings attention to it. When we witness the power of change in another, it gives us hope that we, too, are not beyond hope. With the right tools we can make changes that can restore our lives. Sometimes folks cover up their problems, but with pressure washing, we can actually remove the grime in our lives. We can clean up our lives for the better, but it might take some pressure!

Today, I’m joining King David in his prayer, “create in me a clean heart, O’ God” (Psalm 51:10). It might take some positive peer pressure and it might be a messy job, but I can clean up some of the grime in my life that has been growing for years. Through neighbors like Ed, I have restored my hope that things don’t have to continue to get worse. I am hopeful for our country, our state, and community. Old problems can be washed away, but it will take some work. Addictions can be broken. Marriages can be salvaged. Financial peace can be built. Obesity can be reversed. Depression can be beaten. With the right tools and the right people with the right vision, we can all be as good as new!

Love one. Love another.

Jack

So, if you’re considering doing some spring cleaning around your home soon, you may also want to ponder any spring cleaning needed in your life as well. As the blossoms unfurl and the days lengthen, reflect on the idea that spring isn’t just about tidying up our homes — it’s an opportunity to declutter our hearts and minds as well. Here are. few suggestions for some personal spring cleaning:

1. Dust off your relationship with God.
The “first love” check – Remember when your faith was ablaze? Take a moment to assess your relationship with God. Have you drifted? Rediscover that initial passion. Seek Him earnestly in prayer and His Word.

Scripture scrub – Open your Bible like a fresh spring breeze. Let the living Word cleanse your soul. Confess your sins and repent of any areas where you’ve neglected communion with God.

2. Sweep away grimy (irrational, negative) thoughts.
Mindful sweeping – Our minds accumulate clutter — worries, doubts, and fears. Sweep away irrational thought and negativity. Replace it with God’s promises. Meditate on Philippians 4:8: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Plant new thoughts – Plant seeds of gratitude, hope, and joy. Cultivate a garden of faith. Weed out toxic thoughts that hinder growth.

3. Polish your relationships.
Neighborly dusting – Spring clean your relationships. Forgive where needed. Reconcile with estranged friends or family. Extend grace. Love extravagantly. Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35).

4. Organize your priorities.
Time audit – Audit how you spend your time. Are you investing it wisely? Prioritize prayer, worship, and serving others. Spring clean your schedule to make room for eternal pursuits.

Financial freshness – Review your finances. Are you stewarding God’s resources faithfully? Consider supporting missions, helping the needy, and giving joyfully.

Talent tune-up – Dust off your talents. Use them for God’s glory. Whether it’s singing, writing, serving, etc., let your gifts flourish this spring.

Scotty