Spring has sprung, and many of us are busy enjoying the nice weather, airing out our homes, and taking stock of the things we need to clean and organize. As I sit on my couch and write, I can see toys that need picking up, a bike helmet that needs to be put away, books and games that need straightening, and a shelf that needs dusting.

As a single, work-from-home mom, housework is often the very last thing on my list to get done.It’s easy to put off the picking up and cleaning for just one more day — small things that, by themselves, don’t seem to matter very much. I’ll just do it tomorrow. If I neglect these small things too often, though, I will end up with one great big mess.

I think the same thing can be said of my heart. The things that happen to me and the events of my day can be like the books, games, and bike helmets. Stray words that leave my lips or find my ears can be like the random toys strewn about the floor that, if left there, I will trip over later in my mind unable to let them go.

If I treat these things of my heart like their tangible counterparts, I’ll not only have a giant mess on my hands, but pretty soon I will be a giant mess unable to cope and do my job as a mom. So … how do I “spring clean” my heart?

I think it might work a little differently for each of us, but what has been working for me lately is journaling. Every night before bed, I write down what I am grateful for that day, and then on the opposite page, I write the words, events, or thoughts I want God to remove or “clean” from my heart. Letting go of these things that only God can clean on a daily basis keeps them from building up in my heart and keeps me from holding on to the things I need to let go. It also keeps me from becoming too messy … on the inside.

Have you done your spring cleaning yet this season? Did you remember your heart? How do you keep your heart from getting too messy and turning you into a big ol’ mess? Share with us in the comments!

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

~Psalm 51:10