I have a bit of OCD and find it soothing to go through everything I own about once every 3 months, sorting, organizing, and eliminating anything I don’t need or use.  I’d qualify for a platinum membership at Deseret Industries (thrift store donations), if they had one. I love the feeling of simplifying, paring down, and making room for future interests. Not all my family members appreciated this over the years, however, and more than once, I’ve been admonished, “Mom, stop giving everything away!” Once I accidentally donated all my college-age daughter’s dress clothes, which she had put into two big black trash bags for storage. After an unsuccessful attempt to find them at the local donation center, we gave up and had a good cry. I’ve also occasionally had to repurchase something I’d given away, but I feel that’s a small price to pay.

Since I’ve now been in my new home for over 3 months, and some of the placement of stuff was a little rushed in the beginning, I spent the week systematically going through everything, finding just the right locations to optimize space. I happily minimized significantly when I moved to nearly half the space, but I still managed to find plenty to donate to DI this time around. I know that seems weird to many people, and I admit it is sometimes a bit of an obsession, but it helps keep my mind clear and free of clutter, in some way.

During my cleaning-out process this week, I read a wonderful talk, “Consistent and Resilient Trust” by Elder L. Todd Budge, from the October 2019 General Conference, which I highly recommend. Elder Budge shares:

“In a paradoxical way, afflictions and sorrow prepare us to experience joy if we will trust in the Lord and His plan for us. This truth is beautifully expressed by a 13th-century poet: ‘Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.’

“…Our trials and afflictions can make space for greater joy.

“The good news of the gospel is not the promise of a life free of sorrow and tribulation but a life full of purpose and meaning—a life where our sorrows and afflictions can be ‘swallowed up in the joy of Christ.’ The Savior declared, ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ His gospel is a message of hope. Sorrow coupled with hope in Jesus Christ holds the promise of enduring joy.”

I was touched and comforted by these words and the picture they painted.  In the same way cleaning out my home clears my mind and makes room, my trials cleanse my soul, providing space for me to grow. I believe all of us have experienced an increase in afflictions and sorrow recently, and I’m thankful for messages like this one to remind us that hard things have a purpose, and because of our Dear Savior, we can hope for “far better things.” Let’s keep holding on to our hope in Him.

PS As I typed the title for this post, I left off the “S” accidentally.  It made me stop and think of the connection Elder Budge referred to between weeping, sweeping, and joy.