Got Junk?

To answer the questions posed by the truck, "Yes. I got junk."

Actually, as of 9:27 this morning, I got less junk than I did when I woke up. That's when Nick and Javier pulled out of my driveway with a healthy payload of junk that used to occupy parts of my garage and what you might call my "backyard" (for lack of a better term).

I know what you're wondering. Why didn't I just throw it away (for free) instead of having the guys from 1-800-GOT-JUNK haul it away (for a fee)? Good question.

Those who know me well know that I wrestle with having too much junk. It's been nearly 16 months since I've allowed anybody to see my bedroom due to the piles of stuff I've accumulated there. I've been at my job for just two months and my desk is already a disaster. My SUV is so cluttered that I rarely have room for passengers. Clearly, I have issues when trying to keep my life free of junk. I got junk.

So, setting an appointment and paying a fee was a motivator for me to do some cleaning. I know myself well enough to know that it would be a long time -- if ever -- before I could (or would) go through and throw away all of the junk on my own. It would be more than just filling a Hefty bag. It would require figuring out the heavy trash pick up days, hauling some big items to wherever big items are supposed to go, and ... well, those two tasks are deal-breakers enough. No need to list a third.

In hindsight, maybe there's a spiritual parallel. I cannot get rid of the junk in my life through my own efforts. Sure, it may be tempting to "do it yourself" and be the All-American male homeowner spending a day sweating it out in the garage and unloading piles at the city dump. (Actually, that does not tempt me at all.) The fact is, the junk in my life was becoming a permanent fixture in my home and I needed somebody else to take it away.

Sounds like what Christ did for us on the Cross. We cannot get rid of the sin (the "junk") in our lives on our own. It may be tempting to try, but we will always fail. Always. Instead, if we invite Him in and give Him access to the junk, He'll haul it away for us. That's what Nick and Javier did this morning. I opened my garage door, pointed to the piles, and they did all the heavy lifting. With them, I paid a fee. With Jesus, He paid it for me.

Got junk? Not anymore.