Rubbish and Clutter
It was the recent summer holiday break, and I found myself relaxing at home. A nagging distant thought bothered my mind, and I knew that if I didn’t do something it would continue to bother me. The impact of this nagging thought could potentially impact how I spoke to others, how I viewed my outlook on the day and how I felt about myself.
I knew I had to clean up my garage and throw away unnecessary items into the rubbish tip.
I consider myself a tidy person and I enjoy order and feel comfortable when I have ticked off items on my daily to-do list of chores. Perhaps if you were in my garage, you may not have thought it messy or untidy but then you did not know that I was hanging on to rubbish and clutter from the past. Growing up as a young man, my father would take me, my brothers, sisters, and friends camping and trekking. We were poor by most people’s standards and I lived with hand-me-down clothing but I was happy and content. I loved being in the outdoors and still do. My father purchased a tent. It was large enough to accommodate our family although we were very squashed particularly when it came to bedtime. It had no fancy rooms and was an open, large, plain tent made of heavy tarpaulin material. But I loved its smell and the happy memories it created.
I have kept it in my garage and care for over 30 years. Why did I hold onto it for so long? My father has long since passed away, my children are young adults, and the tent is in my garage taking space and is of no use. It is baggage. Though I have looked after the tent I have never used it since my childhood. Throwing away rubbish and letting go of past problems may seem like two very different things, but in reality, they share a common thread. Just as we accumulate physical clutter in our homes and workplaces, we also accumulate emotional baggage from our past experiences. And just as we need to regularly clear out our physical rubbish, we also need to let go of our past problems to move forward with our lives.
The act of throwing away rubbish is a simple but important task. We all generate waste in our daily lives, whether it be food scraps, packaging, or other disposable items. It’s easy to let this waste pile up over time, but doing so can create a range of problems.
Similarly, our past problems can create emotional clutter in our minds. Negative experiences and traumas can linger in our thoughts, causing us to feel anxious, stressed, or depressed. Holding onto these feelings can prevent us from moving forward in life and achieving our goals. By actively working to let go of our past problems, we can free ourselves from this emotional clutter and make space for positive experiences and personal growth.
Psalm 51 has a verse that reads “Wash away all my guilt and make me clean again.” In the Bible book of 1 Peter 5:7, it reads, "Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you." Like my old tent, it really helps when we throw our old lives away and hand over our memories to God.
I took hold of the old family tent and began to throw it into my car for its final journey to the rubbish tip. I truthfully found it hard to let go. One last glance at the tent in its bag and I threw it in the car. I felt better. Then I looked around and realised that there was still more to throw away. Smaller items like a tent pole or two had dropped behind a shelf. There was more to let go but each time I did, it got easier, and I let go of the past. It’s not that I had unhappy memories, but it was time to move forward and have new adventures all the same.
Julian Van Tienen
Head of Primary
