Happy 4th of July everyone! Looking back over the past 6 months, one of the most important decisions I made was to ponder and come up with a motivating motto for the year ahead. It’s aspirational. Short and sweet. Easy to remember. It’s catchy. It rhymes. It’ll even fit on a post-it note—just like my favorite recipes :)

I hope you like it as much as I do:

Out The Door In ’24! 

Here are a few of the easier to accomplish applications of Out The Door In ’24:

1. Pare Down and Purge: My initial goal of Out The Door In ’24 was simple: get rid of stuff that I DO NOT USE OR NEED. This one was easy, because I enjoy a less-is-more home. And being able to find things. Evidently, there’s a newer program for decluttering which has given the Marie Kondo “does-it-bring-you-joy” method a run for her money; it’s called Swedish Death Cleaning. I LOVE the motivation to declutter and purge as a way of posthumously blessing my family with leaner cleaner closets, drawers and storage. I have tossed, recycled and donated more stuff than you can shake a stick at. There’s lots more to go, but I already feel lighter and freer! My husband also caught the Death Cleaning bug and substantially pared down our out-of-control storage room. 

2. Pack Up and Head Out: Next, I decided I needed to do more than hole myself up tending to what’s inside the four walls of our house. I needed to get up off my fanny and get out more. While I value a less-is-more home, I really value being at home. Which means I DO NOT LOVE traveling hither and yon. But my husband does. He’s been an inveterate traveler since his youth. So in honor of Out The Door In ’24, we sauntered in Savannah in January, raced around Raleigh in February, coasted through Charleston in April and traversed Croatia and Slovenia in May. Whew! I am happily at home for the rest of the summer. 

Back in January, as I pondered the possible interpretations and goals of Out The Door in ’24 I felt pretty good. For about a minute I thought, “I CAN DO THIS!” Then wouldn’t you know it, God inconveniently expanded my understanding of what else Out the Door in ’24 should mean for me personally. 

And all of a sudden I knew my Out The Door In ’24 motto could be a truly worthy goal. Eternally worthy. 

Here are a few of the deeper, more difficult applications of Out The Door In ’24:

3. Purge my heart: Take stock and purge anything that is not useful in maintaining healthy relationships or restoring unhealthy relationships. 

• I need to get rid of a propensity to notice and comment on anything that is not as good as it could be. Detail oriented people like me tend to see and focus on anything that could be improved upon (aren’t we soooo helpful!) and verbal processors like me tend to say every single thing we think. It’s a bad combo. Hence, I immediately notice and comment not on the lush green grass which my husband has kindly watered all summer but the invasive vine climbing up our crepe myrtle or the weed in the middle of a bush that needs to be pulled out. (yes, I know, I should keep my mouth shut and go do it myself. I definitely need to go Out The Door In ’24 into the back yard!) Proverbs 10:14 says: A wise man holds his tongue. Only a fool blurts out everything he knows; that only leads to sorrow and trouble.
• I need to get rid of any attitude or mindset that clutters my soul and crowds out God’s peace and purpose for me. Ephesians 4:31 says to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling and slander, along with every kind of malice.”  A long look into the closet of my heart shows me that I need to sort through current and past thoughts to see what has value and what needs to go. Listen to this podcast How To Forgive (…When Bitterness Feels Better) and evaluate whether you have hung onto any offense or hurt feelings which if left unattended could become “a bitter root.” Hebrews 12:15 says,  “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” We may have legitimate reasons to be bitter yet we are told to GET RID OF IT. Then there will be room for the abundant life of God.
• I need to get rid of any cynical attitude or unkind words directed toward any person or people group simply because they have a different world view or will vote a different way. As believers, when it comes to the upcoming election, we are not donkeys, we are not elephants, we are His sheep. I need to trust that God is sovereign; He is working His plan out come what may; I must strive to keep the unity of the Spirit. Romans 12:18 says: If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Matthew 7:1-2 says: Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

4. Seek and I will find! A benefit of looking into the messy closet of my heart and getting things sorted to keep or toss is that often times I find what has been lost. (And I don’t mean the mate to my favorite pair of earrings that went on the lamb months ago.) I find much more important things like peace, understanding and insightful perspectives. Daniel 2:21b-22 says: He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. When I lose something like peace, patience or perspective, I might blame it on someone else, but once I start sorting my own messy closet, I often realize it was hidden by the “log” in my own eye. Matthew 7:3-5 says: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Psalm 19:12 says: But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 

• I need to seek, find and hold onto the positive and eliminate the negative. Philippians 4:8 says: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 
• I need to look for “the two small fish.” Say what? Yep, just like Andrew who brought the boy’s two small fish to Jesus when a BIG problem confronted them. I need to take notice of anything positive in any situation and bring that to Jesus. It may not seem like enough to make a difference, but when I bring “the two small fish” in prayer to Jesus, He might just take them and do a miracle! (Check out John 6:5-12 and note the difference between Philip and Andrew’s response to the problem heading their way. Ask yourself which one of them felt more a part of the miracle than the other.) 
• I need to find and use what I already have available to help me to FORGIVE. Ephesians 4:32  says: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. ‬ Luke 23:34 says that Jesus prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Once our closets are less messy we see what’s already available to meet our practical needs. The same is true with the need to forgive. I already have what I need. I have God’s word to convict, strengthen and guide me; I have Jesus’ example to inspire me; I have His people to pray for me and hold me accountable. I have His Spirit to empower me.

5. Move out of my comfort zone: At the same time that I am striving to get my inner house in order, I still need to get off my fanny and do the things God wants me to do and act the way God wants me to act. Why? Because Jesus moved out of his comfort zone to offer His earthly life in exchange for my eternal life. Good works don’t save us, they show God how grateful we are for His work that saved us.

• I need to do the good works that God has prepared in advance for me to do—even when I don’t feel like it. Even if I’m unsure that it will make any difference. 2 Corinthians 5:7 and 9 says: For we live by faith, not by sight. So we make it our goal to please him…
• I need to close the door to my heart quickly when something I thought I had gotten rid of tries to creep back in. Romans 12:21 says: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
• I need to give up my right to be the judge and jury and offer a prayer of blessing instead. 1 Peter 3:9 says: Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭14 says:“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” 
• I need to press on and not give up. Galatians 6:9 says: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Heck, I can do Out The Door in ’24 Swedish Death Cleaning all by myself. I can go Out The Door in ’24 and travel with my better half ’til the cows come home. But the much deeper, more personal and eternal interpretations of Out The Door in ’24—well, that takes a higher power—a perfect partner. John 15:5 says: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  Thanks be to God that Philippians 4:13 says: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Out The Door In 2024. What do you need to get rid of—or look for and hold onto? You can comment below.

• Growing In Love Practical Application:  Pray this Lectio 365 Prayer: “I wonder, is there anything in my life which could do with some disruption? Am I giving time and energy to things which are getting in the way of what is most important? Lord Jesus, I welcome You into my ‘house’ today. Would You mend what is broken, break and overthrow whatever is crowding out Your purpose; and show me anything which needs taking away.”
• Read this article on The Forgiveness of Corrie Ten Boom
• Watch Amish Grace –  When a gunman killed five Amish children and injured five others in a Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania schoolhouse shooting in October of 2006, the world media attention rapidly turned from the tragic events to the extraordinary forgiveness demonstrated by the Amish community. Through the eyes of a grieving mother, Ida Graber, and other devastated families, this movie explores the Amish’s astonishing reaction to the horrific shootings – of forgiveness and compassion.
• Listen to this podcast How To Forgive (…When Bitterness Feels Better) and evaluate whether you have hung onto any offense or hurt feelings which if left unattended could become “a bitter root.”
• Some things we need to purge, like anxiety or anger or hatred, are too heavy to carry out the door on your own. Heavy lifting often requires help. Find a good counselor who shares your faith to counsel you using God’s word and wisdom to direct you in your journey toward getting things Out the Door In ’24.

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Photo by Ronald Cuyan on Unsplash