Hajja Salesjana

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash.com Photo by Kal Visuals - Unsplash.co part of us — a sick, diseased extension of ourselves. But God is not a God of disorder. Scripture is very clear about God’s orderly and patterned nature. If I ever need to realign myself with this truth, I simply take a walk outside and take note of the beautiful symmetry that surrounds me: the patterns of leaves and flowers, shapes of trees, rhythm of night and day. It doesn’t take long for the reality to be absorbed, and once again, I return to that inner sanctuary of my heart to question why and what needs to change. This new calendar year always presents us with fresh opportunities to amend our lives. Of course, we can and should spiritually evolve throughout the year. But we tend to take a deeper look at ourselves, a more honest glance at our mistakes and patterns of behavior that may have become sinful, and thus new desire and drive to become something greater is born. Here are three suggestions I have — advice I myself will take — to declutter “…He is not the God of disorder but of peace.” (1 Corinthians 14:33) We all want peace in our lives, yet it seems to be the single most elusive fruit of the Holy Spirit we possess. One of the most popular articles I’ve written was about three very simple ways to attain interior peace, which seems to be a timeless topic. We never seem to get enough of understanding practical steps toward that inner calm that we chase but never capture. Like most everyone, I, too, struggle with maintaining that deep and abiding serenity promised by God, the kind that surpasses all human understanding. There have been fleeting moments in my life where God has graced me with such a gift, but they are infrequent. Most of the time, I am trying to keep up with the rat race of daily life, and at the end of the day, my emotional and spiritual reserve is nil. Pondering this common conundrum, it seems that the largest obstacle to acquiring spiritual tranquility is related to all of the clutter we carry. Clutter weighs us down. It distracts us. It depletes us. And it becomes discouraging. However, most of us become accustomed to the burdens we carry. Rather than feeling contempt for our excess, we become comfortable with what has become familiar. We do not rid ourselves of what clamors within, of what we wrestle with. Instead, it becomes a Three Simple Ways to Declutter Your Life by Jeannie Ewing (Catholic Exchange) Photo by by Johny Goerend - Unsplash.com 32 Lulju-Settembru 2023 hajja