Storage Full

(Yes, I'm aware it's been like 27 years since I blogged. Hello again.)

If there is anything that I absolutely cannot stand, it's when I'm trying to take photos or a video, scrolling through Instagram, or watching something on my phone, and that silly, dreaded little notification pops up and says "Storage Full." Most of the time, I ignore it. I push "OK," and keep scrolling along, never to think of it again (well, until it pops up again).

This happened to me the other day (well, almost every day...let's be real). I was trying to download a couple of new apps that I was pretty excited about, and it wouldn't let me download them until I had deleted something else. I actually needed the space in my phone, and I was being alerted that there was no room.

I frantically went to every folder and deleted unused apps, and then tried to download the new ones again. Still nothing.

Went into my photos and deleted some duplicates, memes, etc. Finally got these apps to download.

In the middle of this absolute silliness (I mean, guys, who really needs to panic over iPhone apps? Seriously...), I actually heard God speak to my heart. Odd timing? It's fine...you can look at this blog with a raised eyebrow...no worries.

But seriously. It was in that moment that I felt, well, conviction. How many times has God given us the warning sign that our spiritual "storage" is "too full," and we have completely ignored it and gone on with our lives? How many times do we only "delete" unnecessary items because we need something else at that very moment? How many of us daily make space in our spirits so that He can fill us when He needs to?

Ouch. This one hit me really hard, y'all.

With what have we filled ourselves that is more important than being full of Jesus?

I've pondered this question for the past couple of days. I will be the first to admit that I allow my heart to get "cluttered." I'm super busy all the time at work, we're involved at church, we just moved into a new house, I'm trying to paint, organize, and decorate all while having boxes coming out of my ears, we recently got a second dog (who's the cutest, and is a handful), and I have a loving husband who I still enjoy dating in my free time. Life can just get hectic sometimes. And I don't even have children yet. Dear Lord.

Are any of these things bad? No. I thank God daily for blessing me with a wonderful husband, a beautiful home, an amazing church family, two sweet doggos, and a job I love. These are true blessings.

The problem lies with our lives being so focused on the busyness and the blessings and forgetting about the God of the blessings. Why do we try to cram as much as we can into our days? Every day just becomes one fluid movement, and there's no time to "empty" ourselves. We ignore the warnings signs, push the "OK" button, and keep scrolling. We go to church, genuinely wanting to be spiritually fed and hear from the Lord, and then leave, wondering why we feel the same as when we got there. What happened? A lack of desire? Probably not. If you're anything like me, it's because I didn't de-clutter.

In the busyness of life, I often forget to give the little things to God. The random little thoughts of negativity, frustration, bad attitudes, complaints, etc. It all piles up, and before I know it, my spiritual "storage" is full. So God throws me a warning notification. I'll be honest and say I ignore it sometimes.

But lately, He's been drawing my attention to these places in my heart that are too full for Him to reside. My intentions are good. My motives are pure. But my storage has been too full for Him to have me completely. He hasn't been able to "download" what He's needed to be in my heart.

I've been reminded of a worship song we sang when I lived in St. Louis, and it's become my prayer again.

"Empty me of everything that's not like You, not like You

Fill me with Your glory, fill me with Your power

Fill me with Your presence

Lord, I long to be like You

Fill me with Your goodness, Your love that has no limits

Fill me with Your Spirit

Lord, I long to be like You"

Sometimes we just need a "factory reset." Get rid of every distraction, burden, negativity, and leftover pain. I encourage you to allow God to fill you with whatever it is that you truly need, even if it's just a moment of quiet with Him. Don't let the excuse of being busy keep you from receiving from Him.

Stop ignoring the warning notification of your heart being too full of junk.

Lord, help me to never be too full of stuff and not full enough of You.

"...let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1, ESV).

Praying your day is blessed!

-Arica