Sunday, December 27, 2009

Clutter


The Christmas clutter was abundant this morning as I entered my living room. Scraps of wrapping paper still littered the floor along with boxes emptied of their new toys. Lots and lots of Christmas clutter.I thought that perhaps Christmas had gotten lost among all the christmas clutter.
I then spotted an old friend. One who for more than a decade has gently reminded me of the reason for our Christmas celebrations. Sitting on top of the Christmas tree, claiming her annual right as our tree-topper is an angel. Oh she is just made of plastic and imitation silk, ordained with cheap lights and even cheaper light holders, but each year she reminds me of another angel, an angel who many, many years ago proclaimed, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." For this same angel had just delivered the good news, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."
Ah, there was the reason for celebration! Had it gotten lost in all the clutter until this quiet morning two days after Christmas?
I have spent the entirety of this day contemplating clutter. The clutter of Christmas, the clutter of the season, the clutter of 2009. As my thought deepened and the day came closer to an end I began to think that the Teacher of Ecclesiastes was correct when he said that everything was "meaningless". Or perhaps everything is clutter.
Clutter, that if allowed to do so, will obscure everything important in our lives. Not just the loss of the true meaning of Christmas, I think that has been forgotten for a very long time, but other things...other important things.
The things that cluttered my life in 2009 have recognizable icons. Busy days at work that cluttered time with my children. Worries about bills and obligations that clutter the few and precious moments of a time that parents have to spend alone. 2009 also brought new clutter into my life. I did not think that either of these two icons would turn out to be clutter but they have.
The first was "Facebook". This new social network continues to gain in popularity and I, after first resisting, gave into the newest method of networking. So why do I now consider it clutter? Why will I deactivate my Facebook this week, sending it into that vast void of nothingness? Facebook reduces each of us into nothing but snip-its. Clutter. With a quick line here or there, a comment made on the run, or through many of the fantasy applications, we define ourselves to the world. Reunited with friends of old, but only via their daily posts, we think we know them. New friends are added, friends that we will never meet face to face, people that we really know nothing about, but our "friend" list continues to grow. We have many many friends! If we look past the clutter of Facebook, or Twitter, My Space or what ever avenue you choose, you will discover that you spend most of your time alone. It's all clutter.
The second icon of clutter this year for me was my continued fight against addictions. I released my book, "Addicted to Faith", with visions that perhaps someone would stop abusing. Each day I begin with a simple prayer that an addict will stop. That they would stop before the hurt themselves or another. That they would stop before they die. I pray that instead of seeking drugs that they would seek God.
Instead, after years of fighting, I have come to this conclusion. The clutter in the addict's life will keep them from seeing the truth. The clutter is not only the drugs they swallow, it is also the lies they tell. The clutter is not only the crap the snort up their nose or the junk they shoot up their veins, it is also the people they betray. The clutter is as much a part of their recovery as it is their addiction. The addicts walks into the AA, NA, or CA meeting proclaiming another day of sobriety, but if you sweep away all the clutter, you will find an addict waiting for the next high.
I will continue to pray each morning and each night for you. I pray that you will decide it is time to stop. I will pray that God places someone in your life that can kick the clutter way so that you will see the truth.
I thought that God was leading me in the direction to help others, but today I realized that I can not. God can and God will.

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