WHAT LURKS IN YOUR CLOSET? PART 1

It is close to Halloween and with it comes all the talk of spooky, scary, and dark things. When I was little, I sometimes imagined something scary hiding in my closet at night.  It must be a common thing and that is why the movie "Monster, Inc." became so popular.

Webster describes the word ''closet", as a small room, enclosed recess where it is private and secluded. It also says it is a dark state of secrecy or carefully guarded privacy.  In other words something that only we would know about!  I don't know about you, but if someone calls and my home is in disarray, where is the first place I think to stash things?  The closet!  I am sure the "stuff" will be out of sight and no one will ever open it up and investigate what is in there! But then my closets get filled with junk and it is time to do cleaning. When this happens, I keep reminding myself, perhaps if I had taken a little time for cleaning when it happened, it wouldn't seem so overwhelming to me!  Can I get an "Amen Sista?"

And so begins my mentoring thoughts today.  Is there bitterness, guilt, or some sin that you have carried way too long and is beginning to crowd in on the new clothes that Christ gave you to wear? Then perhaps it is time to do a little closet cleaning!  Ephesians 5 is a great place to look at the difference of living in the darkness compared to the light.  Ephesians 5:8-11 says:  "For you were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord.  Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness but rather expose them." (NIV)  David must have had some closet cleaning to do himself, for he says in Psalm 32:5:  "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the guilt of my sin."

This week's blog is in two parts.  I think this idea of closet cleaning is important to address because it is those hidden things, that hinder us.  They affect our walk with Christ, they affect our love for others, and they can even affect our health!  David said in the same chapter in Psalm 32:3-4:  "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer."  Pretty vivid picture huh?

To go along with our theme, I am posting a two-part work in progress as well (because that is what just what we are, a work in progress!)  I am making a closet for my American Girl doll clothes that I am taking to sell at the women's event in  January.  It is made from a box, shredded scrapbook paper, brown craft paper and a curtain rod I had on hand.  I glued the paper on the box with watered down glue.  Cut a hole for the curtain rod to insert, am in the process of added trim to the edge and hope to design a door for it this next week.

The completed project will be done hopefully next week!