Cleaning my lint screen

The other morning when I got my blow dryer out, the cap at the end fell off.  When I went to put it back on I noticed the screen was covered in lint.  I spent a few minutes cleaning off that screen before attaching the cap.  And then thought nothing more of it.

The next few mornings I noticed how much more powerful the air was in the blow dryer.  It got me thinking.  Actually, I think this was God getting my attention in a way he tends to do for me.  He takes an ordinary, everyday thing and sheds light on it in a way that gets me to go inward.  I began to wonder, how much lint do I have on my mental screen?  Am I holding on to and gathering old, unhealthy thoughts patterns, judgements, or negative feelings and emotions?  If I am, how is that holding back the power I have in my own life?  Is it lessening my power to show kindness, caring, love to others?  And to myself?  

This prompted a little self-examination.  What can I let go of?  And how do I do that?  I know for me, acceptance is one way.  Accepting is different than liking it. I can hate something but still accept it.  A few months ago, I went through something that I hated and I was angry.  I was angry because I had no control over the decision, it was made for me.  When I realized I could not change the outcome, I had two choices.  I could either accept it or have an internal, mental battle fighting it, with thoughts like: I can’t believe that’s the decision, it is so wrong and stupid, everyone else thinks so, too…and on and on the warring, internal dialogue could have gone. 

It. Is. Exhausting.  

So, I chose to accept it.  And what I can share now is that a lot of beautiful fruit came from that decision.  And I wonder, if I had chosen to not accept it, if I had chosen to hold on to the anger until it produced bitterness, would I have received the beautiful fruit?  Or would it have reaped a batch of rotten apples? I’m grateful I chose wisely.

I hope you seek ways to clean your internal lint screen.