Today is Ash Wednesday – the beginning of the season of Lent in the Western Church. It is a time of penance and preparation for Easter. A time to look honestly at who we are and remember what we are called to be.

Lent comes from a word that means spring. We had 4 inches of snow yesterday and 25 degrees (Fahrenheit) would qualify as a heat wave, so I'm not exactly feeling the spring right now. But I do see the connection. In a way, Lent is a personal spring cleaning. A time to get rid of all the clutter that keeps you from finding and using the things you really need. It reminds you of the things you value and lets you put them back in their proper place — shiny and bright — no longer blocked by all the extraneous stuff that clouds our focus.

Now, when I clean a closet, it's no good to do it in bits and pieces. I have to take everything out and then sort it. Some things are keepers. Some things need mending. Some things need to be given away. And some things are just trash.

During Lent, some people give up things that clutter their lives and sap their energies (TV, Facebook, smoking, chocolate, etc.). Other people take on a new practice that will get them where they want to go (some community service or charitable giving, dedicated prayer time, etc.). Both of these types of practice have the same goal — to empty out the closet of your spirit and to put back in only those things you value and will use. It doesn't mean that the things you get rid of are necessarily bad. Maybe you've outgrown them or they've worn out or they just don't fit your current lifestyle or someone else could make better use of them.

What do you need to move out of your closet? What will you make room for?