“Cleaning out my refrigerator” by Brooke Atkins

I had been putting off cleaning out my refrigerator for several weeks, if not longer. Last night I came home from work, picked up the kids, got supper in the oven, and opened the refrigerator. One look at that mess and I knew I had to start. 15 to 20 minutes later, the job is done. Why had I waited so long? It had bothered me for weeks and yet I had just let it go. A quick, undemanding job that I just could not start. Random leftovers from last week forgotten in a back corner, packages of items I didn’t even remember purchasing, what looks like it may be a lemon in a previous life, and someone’s spilled yogurt, left for mom to discover. The shelves sparkled, the plastic shone, and everything was neatly back in its place. 

The freshly cleaned refrigerator made me feel so good; I cleaned out the cabinet too. It was a situation that reminded me of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," where one action triggers another and then another and another, until you complete a full circle. 

While I cleaned, I couldn’t help comparing my situation to how I sometimes struggle with confession. I know I’m not alone in this. We know we need to go. It bothers us, but we just keep letting our messy souls sit. It will only take a few minutes, but we put it off. We let our sins build up for weeks, months, even years, until the thought of entering a confessional is overwhelming, much like me not cleaning my refrigerator. 

We wait until we can’t stand it anymore! Once we decide it’s time, the nervousness is almost too much. Why is it, though, we wait? Sure, our examination of conscience might take a little longer than usual, but we still wonder, “Why did I avoid this for so long?”

“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned…” minutes later, you’ve completed your penance and feel like a whole new person! Renewed, refreshed, rejuvenated, forgiven! It feels so good. We may want to clean up other areas of our lives, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.”

Lent is a great time to get back on track, a season of conversion, a time to repent. Lent is a time to clean!