Something got into me yesterday. If that wasn’t enough of a surprise when I woke up this morning that ‘something’ came knocking at my door again and I let ‘it’ in with no hesitancy on my part. It wasn’t a stray animal, a spider, or a group of the elder bugs which bathed in the sun last week. No, nothing like that. It was subdued yet purposeful. It was quiet but created an on-going echo in my brain as I opened the door. I did not gasp. I did not shriek back in horror. I embraced this guest. I welcomed it and I gave it nourishment. I entertained “Cleaning Frenzy” for two days. I never left the house. I was confined within the walls, moving from room to room as I cleaned, dusted, vacuumed, washed, tossed, put away, and rearranged. If I didn’t know better I would have thought that I had entered a phase of “nesting” as pregnant women often do before giving birth to their baby.

“Cleaning Frenzy” had been an unwelcome guest in my home lately. In the past we’ve enjoyed numerous long, deep conversations which have stretched across the time within a week’s passing. Ignoring and not having “Cleaning Frenzy” in my home was no fault of hers–I take full responsibility for the estrangement that elapsed over time between our friendship. She would call, even leave a message or two, all to no avail. I chose to ignore her, to convince my mind that she didn’t matter and that I had better things to do with my time than drop everything just so she could be happy. That attitude worked during the summer months, when I could escape outside for a walk or run and even hop in the car and spend time with friends or shopping. While away from home I thought I had the upper hand in our relationship, but I have found out what a devoted friend she has been and continues to be in spite of my wrongful attitude.

“Cleaning Frenzy” waited patiently during the warm weeks and now that cooler weather has arrived, once again she sent a new message only this time it contained a bit more girth and oomph. The message came amongst dust balls the side of quarters, stacks of papers and magazines that have grown tired of being ignored, smudges on mirrors and windows that remind me we had Sarah’s little pups here for a few days. While the bathrooms had been ‘spot cleaned’ there were areas that beckoned for a wee bit more attention than a Lysol wipe can swipe. Even the closets weren’t safe from “Cleaning Frenzy”. Why, she made herself SO at home that she actually asked me to carry out three bags of unneeded and unwanted items to the dumpster. Of all the nerve. But, when I looked at how neat the closet shelves were after she tossed, rearranged, and washed inside I had to admit that she was onto something with all this energy she brought with her! She also encouraged me not to feel guilty about the ‘stuff’ that found a new home in the trash. Just how many tubes of half used body cream or mist does a person really need? and why do people keep candles that have been burned and don’t match the current decor? Then there’s the stack of photos that keep getting moved from one closet to another. How liberating to actually look through them one last time and discard the ones that were horrible to begin with or don’t conjure any real memory that needs to be archived any longer.

So, “Cleaning Frenzy” came to visit me for two days and we enjoyed a wonderful time together. As she left she lovingly reminded me not to let so much time go by before calling her again. As I smiled and waved I promised her I’d do just that. She left quietly and I’ve had ample time to relax along with enjoying the fruit of our labor, until “Personal Cleaner” called asking me why I’ve been ignoring her? Ouch. So, because I truly value the friendship I have with “Personal Cleaner”, after a hearty breakfast I got my favorite Bible and journal on my lap and dug into reading and reflecting on the wisdom that scripture has to share. “Personal Cleaner” and I spent some much needed time being quiet and admitting that some of “my own closets” were in dire need of being dusted and purged. And, though tempted to simply grab a thought and give a quick swipe of my inner most being to perform some ‘spot cleaning’ I allowed Jesus to do a more thorough washing. He nor I didn’t have to carry out three bags of trash, but He did remind me that “Cleaning Frenzy” and “Personal Cleaner” are two friends that deserve more consistency in our relationships.