Have you done your spring cleaning yet? I'm talking about more than just getting down on your hands and knees with the heavy-duty bathroom cleaner -- that's the basic spring cleaning. Have you gone through your stuff, determining what's worth keeping and what's not? Now that's the difficult spring cleaning.
The way stuff can accumulate is incredibly sneaky. Unless you live in an igloo, your house has at least four corners to it...and every room in that house has four corners....and every cabinet in every room has four corners. Altogether that makes for a lot of places to keep stuff. Slowly over time, the piles get higher without ever realizing it.
It's easy to know that the grime on the back side of the toilet doesn't belong (though it's another matter of working up the motivation and even courage to do something about it). It's not always easy to know what stuff in our lives is worth hanging onto and what stuff is okay to toss, and it takes both motivation and courage to make those decisions. Sometimes it's not until we're forced to go beyond the basic spring cleaning that we actually sort through the stuff in our lives.
Here at the mission in Chiang Mai, we likely would not have done much of any spring cleaning, had it not been for the news we received at the beginning of the month of May. We knew to prepare for budget cutbacks within the synod, but it was a shock to hear what those cutbacks meant for our ministry here: the funding for both missionaries has been cut for our mission.
Time for some spring cleaning.
There have been two large-scale garage sales to help prepare one of the missionary families for returning to the U.S. this next month. We've got most of the stuff moved out of Promise Church and into Promise House (we had the final Sunday worship at Promise Church this past weekend and prepare to be completely moved out by the end of the week, as the "FOR RENT" sign has been put up). The Bible Institute is prepared to close down. This has been a month of limbo-land for students, interns, called national workers, and ex-patriate mission staff.
As we downsize, shift venues, reassess ministry options, etc., it's a powerful time to do some spring cleaning: of buildings and, more importantly, of our lives. What stuff is worth taking along, worth maintaining, worth further investment? What stuff is taking up space and really is better thrown out? What stuff has value, but, while recognizing the limitations of space, would be better sold or given to someone who could put just as much value (if not even more) into it? It's hard enough when these questions are about the stuff in your storage room, let alone spring cleaning your understanding of life and ministry.
Despite the many challenges of the past month, as well as the challenges to be faced in the days to come, we can say with confidence and sincerity, "To God be the glory!" To God be the glory for the dedicated and faithful service of the two missionaries and their families for many years. To God be the glory for the calm attitude of many of the Bible Institute students, grounded in the rock-solid foundation that is God's Word and ready to take God's love with them wherever they end up in the coming months. To God be the glory for the different paths of service He's prepared for me and so many others in past months.
To God be the glory for the opportunity to do some important spring cleaning of buildings, but more importantly lives, here.
Have you made time for some spring cleaning yet?
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