Cleaning out the clutter

Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Renew a loyal spirit within me.  Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.  Psalm 51:9-11 (NLT)

Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things.  Who is like you, God?  Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.  You will increase my honor and comfort me once more. Psalm 71:19-21 (NIV)

Earlier this summer when Jay was working hard on the back deck project, he heard a strange noise coming from the dryer vent.  Upon investigation, he found a bird's nest in there.  Thank the Lord it was found before causing a fire.

Prior to this discovery, the kids and I had been hearing a bird making all kinds of racket whenever we would be in the kitchen.  We would even go out and investigate and find nothing.  We assumed she had a nest in one of the porch lights, but Mama Bird had found an even better spot in the vent, where she was warm and protected.  I had noticed that my dryer was taking extra long to dry things and suddenly we knew why.

Jay got a broom handle or stick or something and broke the nest up and was able to get most of it out on the sidewalk.  The first time we turned the dryer on after the cleaning, it made all kinds of noise in there with the little bits and pieces flying around.

Remnants of a nest

For a while I thought there was something wrong with my dryer, and it would be time for a new one.  I was almost ready to toss it out the back door.  I'm so glad I didn't give up on it, all it is needed was a little cleaning.  It is now back in proper working order again, drying load after load of laundry.

Cleaning out the clutter applies to a lot of areas in our life.  If we let junk build up inside of us, eventually we'll stop functioning properly.  That junk can cause spiritual, emotional or physical problems.  It's nothing to be ashamed of.  It happens.  Is it time for you to clean out the clutter?