When I set about to organize, clean, and prepare my house for selling last month, I didn’t realize how this process of purging would hit so close to home . . . as in my heart.

One of the monumental moments happened when my hubby took a couple of days to get away and prepare for a sermon he will be preaching at our church soon.

During that time I was in the throes of going through and “throwing away” a lot of unnecessary things in my linen closet, as well as my youngest son’s bedroom. It goes without saying that this was a monumental task in many ways! 😉

With the house completely empty, I was there alone with my thoughts, providing the perfect conditions for God to speak to me in the silence of the moment.

I came across so many old and useless items that suddenly had profound significance to me at that moment. For example, I came across some outdated medicine that was probably way too old to have on hand but was used for my boys when they could only swallow syrup rather than pills.

I looked at that bottle and tears began to well up in my eyes because I knew I would never buy that kind of medicine again for them. 😦  That phase of my life was, for all intents and purposes, behind me.

Then I came across some old drawings and old toys and old photos <sigh> that all reminded me of my sons when they were young . . . just yesterday!

[bctt tweet=”These hand-held memories brought me to my knees in a puddle of tears. Find out what I’m talking about at MM! ” username=”BethSteffaniak”]

Moving to another house, at least for me, is not just about relocating or downsizing. It represents a transition from one phase of life to another.

And although I am looking forward to this next chapter in my life—relishing the freedom and chance to focus on my passions and personal pursuits—it is also extremely bittersweet. I’m also not completely ready to bust out the door and run headlong after the next big adventure in my life just yet!

God used this time of evaluating, purging, and organizing to slow my steps.

God used this time to remind me to cherish the memories while venturing forth to make more of them in the days ahead.

How is this purging my pride or softening my heart?

I think I was reminded of how finite time is. God brought clarity to my busy buzzing brain through this process, which also brought a willingness to . . .

• Hold on to what has been good in my life. And there has been so much good!
• Let go of what was only mine to manage, care for, and enjoy—but never keep!

All of that opens my eyes to the many times and special moments that I’ve taken the good for granted. When I stop to realize this and thank God for His blessings, I purge pride.

It also opens my eyes to how short time is, compelling me to live immersed in this present moment! I cannot pine for the days of my youth any more than I can rush toward my release as an empty nester. If I do, I’ll miss too much.

Besides, I’ll always be a mom . . . not just to my boys but, in many ways, to all of you as well!

So my heart is softened as I stare my human mortality in the wrinkled face. But human frailty isn’t such a bad thing. It’s actually quite good when you rest in the arms of an ever-powerful God! 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  —2 Corinthians 12:9-11

What has God used to soften your heart lately?

No matter what stage of life you are in, what do you do to keep your heart and mind in this present moment?

I hope you’ll join me next week when I’ll be finishing up this Soft Heart in Marriage series by talking about how conflict was used by God to soften my heart. Also, the bear that I used in the graphic above was/is my youngest son’s “Jackson Bear” that he got when he was only two and we were visiting Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The pic below was taken in downtown Jackson of our three boys on that trip. On a humorous side note, Jackson bear was “christened” by Braden throwing up all over him when we were headed home and going through Kansas City. Maybe it was b/c a van load of Cardinals fans were in Royal’s territory! Lol

Joining with my friends at Giving Up on Perfect, A Little R & R Wednesdays, Mondays @ Soul Survival, Coffee and Conversation, Coffee for Your Heart, Sitting Among Friends, Nanahood, DanceWithJesusFriday, and Wholehearted Wednesday.

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