Pantry Cleaning
My Celebrate Recovery Sponsor came over for lunch yesterday. It was really nice to get to know her a little better.
After lunch, I opened the pantry to put something away. This is what it looked like:
I told my sponsor that my pantry was a metaphor for my life, or for me.
My pantry held many really healthy foods, some that are good only in moderation, some things that are tasty, but harmful to my health, and some that are just plain rotten.
This afternoon I showed the pantry to another friend in Recovery. After she went home, I cleaned and organized it. I even vacuumed and mopped the floor. In the past, I wouldn't have worried about the floor. Nobody else ever sees it and it is just going to have stuff piled on it again. Why bother? I bothered this afternoon because of the parallel I saw between the pantry and my recovery.
I'm still working on Step Four, the Inventory. It has proven to be a much more difficult task than I thought it would be. I want to do a complete, honest inventory, and it is taking so long. I keep thinking of the old saying, "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer is, "One bite at a time." I'm working on my inventory one little bite at a time and it is difficult to chew.
My life, like my pantry contains good things, harmful yet pleasurable things, things that must be kept in check, and things that are simply bad. I'm trying to identify and clean out the bad, while keeping the good in balance.
When I finished cleaning, sorting, and purging this is what I had:
After looking at my newly organized pantry I had another thought. My pantry and my life will not stay neat and clean without work. I must constantly add good things and regularly evaluate, clean out, and discard the junk.
Ephesians 4:31 (NLT)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
Lamentations 3:40 (The Message)
Let's take a good look at the way we're living and reorder our lives under God.
Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)
"Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
After lunch, I opened the pantry to put something away. This is what it looked like:
I told my sponsor that my pantry was a metaphor for my life, or for me.
My pantry held many really healthy foods, some that are good only in moderation, some things that are tasty, but harmful to my health, and some that are just plain rotten.
This afternoon I showed the pantry to another friend in Recovery. After she went home, I cleaned and organized it. I even vacuumed and mopped the floor. In the past, I wouldn't have worried about the floor. Nobody else ever sees it and it is just going to have stuff piled on it again. Why bother? I bothered this afternoon because of the parallel I saw between the pantry and my recovery.
I'm still working on Step Four, the Inventory. It has proven to be a much more difficult task than I thought it would be. I want to do a complete, honest inventory, and it is taking so long. I keep thinking of the old saying, "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer is, "One bite at a time." I'm working on my inventory one little bite at a time and it is difficult to chew.
My life, like my pantry contains good things, harmful yet pleasurable things, things that must be kept in check, and things that are simply bad. I'm trying to identify and clean out the bad, while keeping the good in balance.
When I finished cleaning, sorting, and purging this is what I had:
After looking at my newly organized pantry I had another thought. My pantry and my life will not stay neat and clean without work. I must constantly add good things and regularly evaluate, clean out, and discard the junk.
Ephesians 4:31 (NLT)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
Lamentations 3:40 (The Message)
Let's take a good look at the way we're living and reorder our lives under God.
Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)
"Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
Comments
The hard work you put into your pantry was worth it, but how much more worth it is the work you are putting into your life!!!!
You rock!