— Midweek Meditations:
thoughts, inspiration and encouragement
from ACF community members —
My parents got divorced when I was 17 years old. It was a painful phase for us, the five girls and for my parents too.
There were no intercultural challenges involved. I am convinced that one of the main reasons why my parents got divorced was that one of them had an OCD (Obsessive Compulsory Disorder) – which I inherited – for tidiness, cleanliness, neatness which means keeping everything in order and clean such as house, toilets, clothes, books, car, the working place, etc. and the other one was just the opposite. The saying that “opposite poles attract each other” did not apply.
I still remember the sharp words… the continuous fights … the fear… every day and at every time … in normal days and in special occasions… harsh words that hurt and wounded our lives.
I have also experienced from other close couples – with similar antagonisms- many challenges, conflicts and distress; perhaps we underestimated the effort needed to maintain a healthy relationship.
We read in First Corinthians 14:40: “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way”.
I would say that there are some spiritual aspects involved when we implement a life of order:
- We are representing God in the way how we live
- We experience a sense of peace if our environment is clean and tidy
- We walk our talk with coherence
The practical benefits of keeping our houses neat and clean fit with the following aspects:
- Starting the day with a positive attitude
- Having the mental clarity of knowing where everything will be found
- Increasing levels of comfort and relax when we come home after a stressful day
- Being more efficient in our daily tasks
Our health is a reflection of the way we treat ourselves mentally and physically, but also the way we treat the places we choose to spend our time with others or alone.
2025 is just starting. I would like to invite you all to make an effort to improve our behaviour, which is perhaps causing many conflicts in our families. Let us take some time to thank God for the new year and declare that we can show respect and love to that OCD person at home who is trying her / his best to fulfil the word of God! Let us start with small steps: Get up every morning and make your bed!
The ACF Midweek Meditations
are written by a diverse group of our church members with the intention to seek God’s fingerprints in our lives. They range from somber to humorous and are inspired by all facets of live and faith. Written by ordinary people from all walks of life, they reflect a wide range of Christian backgrounds and spiritualities.
Each week’s text portrays the individual viewpoint of its author. They might not always resonate with everyone, and are not meant to be understood as representing the Anglican Church Freiburg as a whole. Yet, as a church that is aiming to ‘Build a Community of Grace’ we seek to practice learning from and listening to one another.
We pray that these humble ponderings add a small spark of blessing to your week.
Freiburg Anglican Church 