Vacuum The Fear Away
It’s Friday!
Have you guys ever seen the Pixar movie Inside Out? It’s a movie about a young girl named Riley, whose world gets turned upside-down when she and her parents move to another state. Riley’s emotions- led by Joy- try to guide her through this difficult, life changing event.
Earlier this week, I was discussing with two friends of mine “If we were a character in the movie Inside Out, what emotion would lead us?” Right away, I knew my answer was fear. Fear is the emotion that usually rises up in me as I can be an overthinker and tend to think logically. However, I have recently been a lot more active about giving my fears to Jesus instead of trying to control them on my own.
Vacuuming is my go-to cleaning chores when I feel the need to gain control or pray. I sprinkle a little bit of baking soda and then drop a few droplets of essential oil over the carpet. Today, before I started to vacuum, I put on a praise song cover by Darlene Zschech. She has a cover of two powerful songs: No Longer Salves and Surrounded. Both of these songs come against the torment of fear. As I blasted the music and vacuumed, I began to pray. I told the Lord that I did not want to be someone who lived in fear. I did not want that to be my identity. I did not want my fears to keep me stuck. My True identity is only in Christ. It has been rooted and founded in Him. I needed Him to continually pour out His perfect love on me and blast out those fears. I will not allow my inner emotion of fear to guide me through life anymore. I know Whose I am and Who He says I am. It is final!
It’s interesting, God wants us to be intentional with Him. He desires us to tell Him the truth and to come to Him the way children do their parents when they are in need. God wants us to be intentional with Him the same way I am intentional to pour out baking soda, add some essentials oils and vacuum my carpet because I know it brings me a sense of relief and peace. He wants to be that relief and peace. I have found God in the simplest tasks. It’s not only about the Sunday meetings with Him or morning devotional times. He wants all of it. It’s like He’s “needy” even though He is not! It’s His desire and pleasure to be in relationship with us. He desires to give us more of Himself and His presence so we can keep on going.
Here’s a question for you guys to answer and maybe even journal about on your own. What is your go-to house chore and how can you include Jesus in it? As you can see, vacuuming is mine. Another one of mine is doing the dishes! I have heard from a few people that if you want to grow in patience, wash the dishes or iron. Use that time to invite the Holy Spirit as you are doing a simple or daily task. Pray or put on your favorite praise/ worship song and get down! It might sound funny, but the more you do it, the more you’ll see that chore or tasks become such a sweet, refining and intimate moment between you and the Lord.