The other day, we reorganized our junk drawer. We were forced into it by the fact that it no longer closed. Or if it did, it wouldn’t open again! In that fertile breeding ground, commonly used household tools and office supplies seem to proliferate at will. Where do they all come from?

What a funny and appropriate image to contemplate during Lent, this time of spiritual decluttering, of tending to the messy, jammed-up junk drawers of our soul. And as we contemplate our Household Economy in the third week of the month, we are noticing how appropriate it is that this time of spiritual housecleaning arrives just as we begin to contemplate spring cleaning of our home.

The days are noticeably lengthening, and we are starting to make plans to come out of hibernation and move towards Easter, spring, and summer events and vacations. And we must clear away the dead or cluttered parts of our lives to prepare for new growth!

How wonderful then that, as we begin to tend more to our household environment, it doesn’t have to be separate from our Lenten resolutions. In fact, these little jobs around the house can be prayerful and practical ways to have a Lenten win-win: by both improving our family’s Level 3 “communion,” and by reminding ourselves of what Lent can be doing for us spiritually. 

If you get “stuck” this Lent (yes, we’ve been there), try getting unstuck by cleaning a junk drawer or tackling a decluttering project. But don’t do it just to do it. Do it with a spiritual intention and a prayer, such as:

“Lord, even as I attempt to organize this simple drawer, please give me the grace to reorder my life in you anew and draw closer to you this Lent. Help me to put first things first. Help me to invite the order and tranquility of your love into the messiness and seeming chaos of my life. Lord, prepare me for Easter, for new life, and allow me to surrender to you.” 

When our junk drawer project was finished an hour later, everyone commented. “The drawer doesn’t jam!” “It’s so nice!” It lightened the entire household. In a seemingly trivial yet substantive way, our care for one another took a step forward.  

This Lent, resolve to find real-life places in your physical household where you can make a small dent…and in the process, recharge your key Lenten resolutions.