Millions of people today seek a 'detox': From spiritual cleansing rituals to self-administered detoxification, ultimately, we are never permanently cleansed.  

Why do we have a yearning to be clean? 

We are created for Heaven and our souls long for eternity.

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” 

― C.S. Lewis

Although we are created for another world, what can we do in the meantime to brush away decay? 

As an example, the following is a depiction of my journey to detox, 7 years ago: I am sinking into my first week of being a vegan (which lasted 8 months). I have recipes galore lined up and new ways of unearthing the ‘healthiest’ version of myself. You need a cake for a party? I’ve got you covered. Cashew cream with a carrot and apple base smothered with coconut milk and maple syrup and yes, it will taste delicious. I am convinced: I will drink beetroot, lemon & ginger juices, stretch, wake up and write out a gratitude list, visualise the healthiest version of myself – and voila! I will scratch out all unhealthiness in my life and you’ll find me new, fresh and revitalised within a month. 

However, what I did not realise then was the depth my soul lacked. I was trying to cover up the surface of my life with healthy eating and good habits, but my soul was hungry to be refreshed.

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1. Assess your mind and body

Where are your thoughts now? 

Record a 3 minute video of yourself talking about your life and where you are at now and the problems you are facing and how you would like to refresh. Watch yourself afterward. 

Can you see yourself holding tension and expectation in your forehead, shoulders or eyes? Is there a sense of impatience or sadness? Where can you surrender thoughts and actions? 

I recently observed a video of myself (playing with my son Ezekiel) and after watching, I thought ‘stop trying to prove a point, Acacia. Relax!’ 

How rapidly our thoughts bleed into our actions.  Taking a daily time before God to journal and ask Him what you need to surrender is refreshing for the soul.

2. Clear your physical surroundings

Is there something in your physical space which is hindering your mind or body from letting go? 

What habits have you held onto that are no longer serving this season of your life? Old practices do not fit into a new way of living.

Get rid of anything that is not adding joy or purpose to your home. Put it in a box in another room or a garage and wait 3 months. If you’re not using those items during that time or they don’t carry deep family value, pass them on or sell second hand.

Likewise, if you have developed any habits in your daily life or in your way of thinking, perhaps reconsider their place in your daily life and in your soul today.

3. Dispose of decay in your everyday life

Getting rid of decay is rough. Watch and feel how an oral hygienist scrapes decay from a patient’s teeth; observe the broom scratch the surface of the pavement as it pulls away dead leaves.

Decay is dead and it’s moving out of the way with vigorous effort. Does decay want to move? Nope: It was planning on staying where it was until something or someone took it somewhere. 

What does brushing decay out look like in our lives? Combing out bad habits, asking for accountability from family or friends, avoiding the urge to check your phone for the seventh time that morning, forgiving someone, apologising, softening and coming terms with LIFE in its fullest array of difficulties and joys. 

Ask for prayer for a particular area of your life. Resist the urge to compare. Praise and remain grateful.

Brush through the habits and practices of your mind, body and soul frequently.  Take it from the dentist – they know that if you stop brushing your teeth for several years, you’ll have a plethora of decay.

Sweeping

Uncover the dead leaves,

Sweep the decay

Wet underneath, 

Rotten leaves

Imprints

Gathered, piled, disposed

Sweep the decay

The sun glows

My pile knows 

it is dead

and done.

Come, feast on purity 

New and exposed! 

Acacia Chenda 2023.