by Guest Writer J.M Schiele

Hi, my name is Quin, and I’m in high school. From the outside I may look like a normal teen. At least, I thought I was… then I had this — what’s it called — revelation?

It happened yesterday while I was sitting in my bedroom. As I looked around my room, I realized my life had changed a lot in the last month. I used to be an organized person. My room was always neat — but as I glanced around, I could see it was full of clutter and junk.

Yeah… I’d let it get way out of hand. It looked like I hadn’t cleaned it in ten years! It might as well be that way, because it’s going to take me that long to clean it up, I thought.

I realized it was the same with my life – it had gotten a little cluttered lately too. I used to be on fire for God. I had this feeling that nothing could get in my way of sharing His love with others. I always made time just to hang out with Him like a friend.

Then I got busy. Things were out of control.

I let go of the fire I had for God. Spending time with Him wasn’t a priority anymore. I barely went to church. I wished I could go back to how things used to be. I wanted to change. No, I needed to change.

I needed God’s burning passion back into my life! I needed to let go of the things in my life that crowded out God. My room wasn’t the only thing that needed cleaning… so did my life.

As I thought about that, I started to clean my room. Before I knew it, I was finished. I’m so glad I got that over with! Now I won’t have to worry about it anymore.

But it doesn’t always work that way. Some days I’m tired and I don’t want to put my shoes in the closet. Oh… the closet….I never looked in there. I didn’t know what might be lurking there.

As I peered into my closet I was horrified! What?! How could it be so dirty while my room was clean?

Did my heart look like this too? I realized that reading my Bible, praying, and going to church weren’t the only things I needed to do. Maybe they would help clean up my life, but my heart?

I knew there was something more to my relationship with God than what others could see on the outside. So I asked God to fill me up again. I felt better afterwards.

Okay, so maybe I’m not completely back to the way I was, but it’s a start. And maybe my closet still needs some work, but I do know that my life has forever been changed, and I am NOT going back to the way I was… and neither is my room.