Spring Cleaning: Kitchen Edition (A Lost Treasure Has Been Found!)

*NOTE:  I thought this blog article had posted MONTHS ago!  It was only recently that I realized it hadn't posted AT ALL!  I hope you enjoy this final portion of the Spring Cleaning Series!!*

In this series about decluttering, I decided to visit the kitchen.  It's often a place we don't think of as needing Spring Cleaning, but what I show you will help you get organized not only in the kitchen but in your faith walk as well!

First, let's look at how our cupboards are organized.  Are like items placed near each other?  Is the pasta located near the pasta sauce or near the syrup?  I tend to put seasonings and spices in the same cupboard, put canned goods next to each other, and keep things like pudding mixes and baking mixes on a certain shelf because I consider them alike.  I also take a moment to look through items that might have gotten pushed back in the cupboard that I have forgotten about or didn't even know were in there!  So take inventory of the things you can still use and things that just need to be tossed out.

• In our spiritual walk, what items are placed  near like items? 
• Are our words placed in like manner to the words of the Lord?  
• Or are they reflective of those we generally hang out with?  
• Are we bringing light to others?  
• Or shoving them aside in the back areas of our lives to be forgotten about until we see them again?

Next, consider your dishes.  I recently noticed that many of our family's dinner plates had cracks in them.  They don't look as pretty with chips out of them and cracks running through them.  Sometimes the cups leak and I have to through them away.  We end up with either a mismatched set of dishes or just a set that is missing some components that would make it more complete.  And I don't know about your plastic covered containers, but mine seem to always lose the lids!  Unfortunately, they don't work as well for storing food in the refrigerator without the proper lid, so I end up putting the containers in the recycle bin.
In our walk with the Lord, we can continuing using the cracked dishes and pretending that we're whole.  But at some point, we'll break.  Instead, allow the Potter to fix the cracks and remove those chips in us.


Moving on to the garbage, does yours overflow like mine in the picture?  It's a constant evaluation process:  Is the can getting too full?  Could more be shoved in?  Should the bag be changed?
It's not wise to put in more than what the container can hold or a mess will surely overcome the trash can and the floor.  It's similar to our own filters and holders of trash in our heart, spirit, and mind.  The more you try to stuff bad things in, the more it will overflow.  And when that happens, it changes who we are.  We begin to look more like the trash that went in that the light of the Lord shining out.





Finally, let's look at our kitchen floors.  Do they show wear and tear?  Or have you gone out of your way to care for them?  The floors are the foundation on which the whole kitchen is built!  Thinking just about that area of your home, it bears a lot of weight, doesn't it!  The lower cabinets sit on the floor; the stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher are supported by the strong floor; and the table and chairs rest waiting on the floor for someone to use them.  Our heart and spirit are like the floor, carrying much of the load of the things of life.  Take care to know what is placed there and to keep is a strong, solid foundation for your spiritual home.