Being Cathartic!

Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31

The project with top priority for me during these cold days of winter is cleaning out closets in the house. It is so easy to allow unused items to accumulate, and I have to really discipline myself to get it done. This past week as I emptied closets and went through items, I found things that my kids had worn years ago, little dresses Ashley had worn in my sister’s wedding, some of my Mama’s coats, and even some of the sweet little clothes I wore as a baby. My Mama kept everything!!

When I run across these items, it brings back a flood of memories, and I am tempted to pack them all back up, open the closet again, and put them right back to tackle another day. It’s important at times like these to be cathartic. When we are being cathartic, we are experiencing a process of cleaning out or releasing strong emotions according to Webster’s definition.

While assembling all the items to be donated and fighting the temptation to “rethink” parting with many things, it occured to me, that life can often be just like this experience. We are all guilty of harboring different emotions in our lives. Things such as resentment, unforgivness, anger, fear, guilt, and worry. We push the emotions into the closet of our lives and postpone dealing with them.

The thing is until we are cathartic and deal with whatever it is, we can’t move forward as we should in our lives. We have to get whatever emotions that bother us out of our lives and not look back. Don’t open the bag and take back all the things we have just closed up to give away. There comes a time when God says, “Because of the plans I have for you, you must put these things out of your life.” It seems straightforward enough, but it is not easy.

I take comfort in knowing that I am not the only one who has trouble being cathartic. I have a friend who says of situations that brought anger or hurt, “Just when I thought I was over it someone brings it up again, and it all comes roaring back into my life.” Yes, it’s not easy.

So, how do we clean out our closet and never look back? How can we be cathartic? First, it might be helpful to share the frustrations of the situation either with a close friend or even a counselor. Small groups can serve as counselors many times by providing confidants in which we can vent feelings, anger, and hurts that have been pushed down inside and pour it out.

Next, we need to set ourselves in a new direction. When we spend too much time focusing on ourselves, we get discouraged. We need to get our eyes off ourselves and try looking at the ways God can use us. He wants to give us a new purpose and a new direction!

Finally, we have to forgive ourselves for any perceived failures or mistakes. Whether it’s one mistake or failure or one hundred of them, God will pick us up and help us start all over again if we only ask.

Being cathartic doesn’t mean we have to let go of everything. Sometimes it just takes a little reorganization of our closets, our drawers, and our priorities. Start with one small thing at a time to achieve the goal.

Being cathartic helps us not only clean out our closets, but clean out our heart and souls as we take stock of our spiritual lives, our views on the world, and our sense of purpose. What things do we hold onto and what things can we clean out? Pray for guidance, wade into the clutter, and then let the cleaning begin!