Meeting God in the Mess
August 14, 2026
For the past year-and-a-half, this persistent leg condition has not only challenged me physically, it’s also pushed me emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. God has used it as a backdrop in my story to show He can bring beauty out of hard things. It’s also added an extra dimension to my decluttering plans.
Before I go deeper with the spiritual aspects of decluttering, it’s important that you have some understanding of what brought me here. My leg situation is part of it, but it started way before that.
I learned long ago to take God at His word. It stretches me, but when I give Him space, He can prove He’s faithful. My husband says it’s a gift. My tenacious faith sees Him as my Shepherd, and He loves having me in His flock. He’s also a good Father who delights in His children. He adopted me into His family and calls me by name. He’s concerned about the things that concern me.
But I don’t always get it right. For some reason, when it came to decluttering, I saw tasks to tackle, and it never dawned on me to include God. I certainly didn’t think it would become a meeting place with Him.
It seems ridiculous now, reading this as I type. But honestly, it’s how I thought at the time.
Rosie the Riveter comes to mind. Remember the iconic woman in the WWII poster wearing a red bandana? She’s flexing her muscles, saying, “We Can Do It!” That was my mindset as I approached my decluttering assignment in the bathroom.
Rosie’s mindset didn’t get me very far. I flexed my muscles, but my heart responded to what I found. Feelings rushed up: confusion, guilt, and the realization that I had made poor choices. I was overwhelmed. Even though I was alone in the room—no one else was even home—I felt exposed. Vulnerable. Ashamed.
Like Adam and Eve in the Garden, I, too, wanted to hide. Where did that come from? Why did I feel exposed and ashamed? And where would I go? My bathroom was the most private place in the house. There’s no way to reason with emotions like that.
In all my years of believing God, I’ve learned that these feelings stem from something, and it isn’t Him.
“Stem from something”—now that’s a phrase to remember.
My feelings blindsided me, but I don’t want that for you. Things get stirred up as you declutter, and that discomfort is a clue that something deeper needs your attention. So, don’t rush past it.
Pause.
Get curious.
Ask questions.
I’ll share more tips later in the blog, but for now, I want to set you up for success. If you do this one thing, it will take you to the peace and clarity you want.
There’s gold in the discomfort. When we slow down and consider the discomfort—and why it triggers us— we’ve already made progress, even if we haven’t emptied a box.
Ignoring or stuffing what feels intense continues to weigh on us, and we may never get victory over it. Not to mention, it’s exhausting to keep sweeping this stuff under the rug.
We can create lives that look put together. That’s what social media shows—there’s no clutter of any kind. But open the bathroom cabinet and…BOOM. We’re feeling small, ugly, and unworthy.
As I worked through my clutter and emotions surfaced, I found myself asking the Lord what they were pointing to.
”Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
—Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)
God loves you as you are. He sees you in your mess and loves you anyway. Nothing you do can separate you from His love. He’ll love you if you choose to have a crammed closet, or if you give it all away. Your clutter (or lack of it) is not a measure of your status with Him.
God’s way is easy and His burden is light. He never wanted us to feel shame, guilt, or anything that would make us want to hide. Even in the Garden, He sought Adam and Eve because He loved them. He found them hiding, and restored their dignity with grace. He was with them, and He wants to be with us, too.
His way allows our souls to rest. When we ask God to help us with our mess, He hears and responds. As stuff is stirred up and we give it to Him, we release the weight and sense His peace.
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
—John 14:27 (NLT)
“Peace” in the New Testament is similar to words like calm, tranquil, and harmony, and it also carries the bigger idea of wholeness. When you feel like you’re falling apart, peace is God’s gift that brings things back together. And you can experience that in your bathroom, or whenever you feel overwhelmed. It’s beautiful, and so much better than hiding.
So tomorrow, if you find yourself elbow-deep in your mess and notice any signs of anxiousness or overwhelm, you won’t be surprised. You’ll know what to do. Just whisper something like this:
“God, You said in the Bible that I can come to You. I want to take You at your word. Will You help me? It all feels too much. Will You ease my load? I want to know the plans You have for me, and I want to be free from everything that holds me back. Help me to get through this moment, and give me courage to keep going. Teach me what I need to know, and guide me into Your truth and peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
I think decluttering was God’s plan all along. He used the unexpected—my common clutter—to uncover more important things within me. Those things were robbing me of joy and peace, and they almost kept me from the future He has planned. Turns out, the best thing about decluttering isn’t how much you get rid of. It’s discovering God’s great love and His willingness to meet us in the mess.
I'm learning to be more intentional with both my thoughts and my things as we prepare for retirement and a major move. I'm sharing what I learn here on Clearing the Way—and I hope you'll find something helpful as you clear your own way forward. If you'd like to follow along, I'd love to have you join me.
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