White Glove analogy.

My room looks nothing like it usually does today because I spent just a little bit of time getting it to look respectable for our white glove inspection. Monthly ritual. Usually, I was in the habit of stuffing as much of my crap as possible into my cabinets and trying to get them to shut so my room takes on the appearance of order.

It's rather shameful to admit how much what my room looks like says about all aspects of my life.

I looked over at my roommate's side of the room while desperately trying to clean up mine in time - it was spic and span. Didn't take her long either. It gave me a small epiphany. Similar to one I had when I drew the analogy with a messy bag and rotten leftovers back in February last year, but with a slightly different viewpoint this time.

What makes my room an absolute horrible mess above that of most other people isn't because I have waaaay more things than they do, or because I use my room or my things more, it's because I don't put away what I pull out.

Things hidden away in my closets and drawers mostly aren't organized to begin with and in trying to look for something, I almost always make a mess. That's fine. Many people overturn their houses trying to locate their keys. What makes the difference is whether or not they clean up after themselves as soon as they do.

I have been in the habit of letting my clutter accumulate for weeks. Instead of constantly putting things away, my tolerance level increased with the chaos. It got to a point where something would spill on the floor - a box of pencils, pictures, earrings etc. and I could ignore it and leave it there for another couple of weeks or more. Pretty bad, no?

Compare that to life. How many times have I increased my tolerance for sin to suit my sloppy unrepentant lifestyle? I create a mess with my life and I just leave it as is. Cluttered, disorganized. Can't find a thing I need. Then trying to hide everything to take on the appearance of cleanliness and purity.

Life isn't about how many times you mess up. Or how big a mess you make each time. At the end of the day, it's whether or not we've cleaned up after ourselves. Do we keep it mostly messy, or mostly clean? Is every aspect of our lives in order, or are we simply sweeping past sins under the rug, leaving them to resurface in the future? How long do we wait before we sort things out before the Lord?

When the Lord suddenly makes his "white glove" inspection, will I need 15 more minutes to clean up?

This isn't a completely new idea. It's just a reminder to me that there are many things which I need to be doing differently. I am not going to be a neat freak by the next white glove, but I can start by making my bed every morning, doing my laundry on a regular basis. Repenting of my trespasses before they get bigger and I become accustomed to living a life waist-deep in crap.

Heaven is for neat freaks. I better become one soon, or I'd be pretty uncomfortable there.