This spoon is an intruder. I have no idea where it came from – an old set of silverware? Someone else’s house? Who knows. What I do know is that it does not match our current silverware set, at all. Which we’ve had for … maybe 15 years?
And this one weirdly wrong spoon has recycled itself into the drawer over and over ever since.
Yesterday when I pulled it out of the dishwasher, I started to put it away as usual. But I stopped dead in my tracks as the thought came to me: WHY ARE YOU SAVING THAT?
Now I could say I’m saving it because it is unique, different from all the others. That’s not a bad thing, right? Or maybe because no one else wants it. What does that make me – a spoon rescuer?
The FACT is that it simply does not belong in that drawer. And it hasn’t for years and years. But I have automatically used it, washed it, and put it away for all this time.
Yesterday, I wondered why.
And it got me wondering about how many random “spoons” are present in my life, well cared for and often used. Spoons of bad habits, spoons of resentment, despair, discontent, disappointment … spoons of pride. And I just keep washing them and reusing them when in reality those spoons do not belong in the drawers of my soul.
Today I’m throwing that spoon away. It has no place in my silverware drawer. I must now choose to throw away the spoons that are taking up precious places in my soul, and let the light shine in!
Angie Clayton is an author, speaker and editor who has a passion for connecting with the hurting. She is a storyteller, and her writing is rich with diversity. On her blog, Framing the Days, Angie shares with you the joys and beauty of both the mountain tops and the valleys of her life and the lives of those around her. Her book, “Peering into the Tunnel: An Outsider’s Look into Grief,” is a collection of real stories, as well as helpful suggestions to best serve someone who is grieving.
Angie is a long-time Bible teacher who is passionate about connecting with younger generations, and engaging with the hurting. She spends much of her time doing life one-on-one with women. Her speaking engagements include numerous in-person, radio and podcast appearances on many topics, including Grief, Grandparenting, chronic illness, and life after Retirement.
Achievements:
Angie graduated from the University of Kansas with degrees in Accounting and Business Administration, followed by her CPA certification
Personal Interests:
Angie and Greg, married for 36 years now, live in the Kansas City area, and they have two children and four grandchildren. Angie enjoys spending time with the grandkids, reading, puzzles and amateur photography. She is passionate about walking out life’s storms with those around her.
Contribution to the Community:
Angie and her husband were foster parents for a number of years. She volunteered for more than a decade at Camp CUMCITO (City Union Mission’s Camp in the Ozarks), which serves hundreds of low-income kids, primarily from urban KC.
Angie was recognized as “Kindest Kansas Citian” in 2003 for her work with children.
Fun Fact:
Angie homeschooled her kids while they were in high school, which was no easy feat!
