Becoming empty for God's sake

Have you ever attempted to fill a glass that's already full -- or struggled to fit new clothes or furniture into an already-crammed closet or house? I've striven to accomplish all those tasks, only to find the container must first be emptied before refilling it. Recently I related that same principle to my spiritual life.

I realized that one's heart cannot receive Jesus until it's first emptied of worldly concerns. We must rid ourselves of false personas, perceptions and endless worldly demands that take precedence over God.

I remembered the story relating Mary and Joseph's search for a room where Jesus could be born. However, there were no rooms at the inn. It was full, so they went away, enduring the cold and darkness. The inn is a symbol of the heart, and God's word, Jesus, can only take root in a hollowed-out heart rather than one already packed with other matters. One must offer a place where Jesus can reside. When Jesus was born, many people's hearts were too overcrowded with secular material to envision that a baby boy would be born to save the world from sin. It was a concept too foreign for hearts filled with other interests.

I marveled at the similarity of principles between the spiritual and ordinary. While preparing for a test in college, I could only absorb information after emptying my mind of other muddle. I also believed the quote, "A cluttered house causes a cluttered mind." I'm still an avid supporter of the opinion that disarray of any kind -- a messy house, environment or even failure to set goals genuinely -- contributes to a chaotic mind.

Any space -- whatever its purpose or content -- must be hallowed out and organized with some semblance of order before one can constructively add to or use its contents. Even one's memory must sometimes be emptied out into the subconscious before it can hold new information.

A lifetime friend constantly swims in confusion because her life is overly crowded. She's the victim of divorce, has young children to care for, a daily job and tries to keep things intact at home. Janet seems to always be running in circles. Yet she fails to take time to straighten her possessions and catch up with paying bills to help clear her mind. Instead of removing unneeded items from her home to make more space, she shifts the items around and adds more. Janet seems to run away from her disorder rather than discard clutter, organize and make changes -- one step at a time. She also feels the need for an extensive social circle and stresses herself to the point of depression and exhaustion by trying to be all things to everyone.

There's nothing wrong with maintaining numerous friendships. But the feeling that one must constantly be included in countless lives, at the expense of family obligations and other duties, often stems from insecurity. The container of social connections becomes overfilled. Friendships must be sorted and re-evaluated. One decides which friendships receive time and energy.

As I continued to contemplate the known fact that a container must first be emptied before it can be refilled, I undeniably saw that truth being applicable to both the spiritual and the secular. My earthly houses, of all kinds, must be cleaned, organized and vacated of stuff before they could be refilled with things more fitting. But it's even more important that my heart be emptied of useless and corrupting debris so it can be filled with God.

Ellen Shuck is director of religious education at St. Mary's Cathedral Parish in Cape Girardeau.