Clutter Free

When we get rid of the clutter in our lives, it’s generally a good thing. There are times when we throw something out, something we may have been holding onto for years, “just in case we need it,” only to discover shortly after it is gone that if we’d only kept it a little longer we could have used it. But, for the most part, our lives are often filled with so much clutter that we find it difficult to enjoy life, and in extreme circumstances, the clutter paralyzes to the point we can no longer function.

Clutter in our spiritual lives can prevent us from living in the present moment. Sometimes this clutter comes in the form of rules, guidelines, procedures, programs, and traditions. Sometimes the clutter comes in the form of responsibilities — jobs and families — and there may be little we can do to change things.

I looked for an antonym of clutter but didn’t find just one specific word. Instead I found “near antonyms” such as calm, hush, peace, quiet, stillness, and order. A lack of clutter in the physical world doesn’t guarantee these positive qualities will result, but it certainly allows for them to happen more easily. In the spiritual realm, a lack of clutter doesn’t necessarily bring these qualities either, but it certainly provides an atmosphere more conducive to finding the peace we seek. If we make time once in a while to pray without asking, we may also want to pray without the clutter of religious rules and restrictions. Relax. Throw out anything that doesn’t support your communion with The Divine, and rest in the Divine Presence.