Clean Out Your Ears

When I was growing up, I have a vivid memory of my grandmother doing “spring cleaning.” I remember it because I would help her. We would do things like move the furniture and clean behind it, wash windows, scrub the porch… I remember that my grandmother wanted all the mattresses and pillows taken out of the house and put in the yard so they could get sunshine all day and sort of air out. It was hard work, but everything just felt better after it was done.
I was thinking that a spiritual spring cleaning might be just the thing we need. “Spring Cleaning” is going to be the theme for the month of May. This week we will look at what it means to stop and really listen. It seems counterintuitive for those of us who tend to just plough ahead.
I was reminded this week of my favorite character in the animated Pixar film, Finding Nemo…Dory. Dory is a lovable, ditzy, blue fish who literally forgets things almost as soon as she hears them. Dory’s mom, wanting to help her survive, tells her to “just keep swimming.” To help her remember to just keep swimming, she teaches Dory a little song. “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming swimming…what do we do? We swim, swim…” (OK – if you’ve seen the movie, now that song will be stuck in your head…you’re welcome!)
When Marlin (Nemo’s dad) gets really discouraged on the search for his son, Dory passes on her mom’s advice. She tells Marlin, “When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming!” That’s good advice for much of life. It reminds me of something that Paul wrote to the Philippians.
“One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3: 13-14 NIV)
There are times when we really need to be reminded to just keep swimming. When we are having a bad day…struggling with an illness…tempted to throw in the towel… But there are times when we need to stop, look and listen. When we are swimming in the wrong direction, we really need to stop. We need to pay attention.
Sometimes God stops us…and gets our attention. That’s what happened to Paul (who at the time was known as Saul). Here is part of the story from Acts 9…
9 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” (Acts 9: 1-6 NRSV)
Knowing when to “press on,” or “just keep swimming” and when to stop, look and listen can be tricky. The key is being fully aware and present in each moment. It’s so easy to be distracted by all of the busyness of life!