Christian Living

Clutter. It’s everywhere. In our garages, in our living rooms, and worst of all—right between our ears.

For years, I made a living hauling away people’s unwanted stuff. Junk, furniture, boxes of who-knows-what, piles of brush, and—oh yes—big chunks of concrete that doubled as my personal weightlifting program. I had a little red Datsun long-bed pickup truck with makeshift sideboards made from scrap wood my neighbor gave me. It wasn't fancy, but it got the job done.

My Acres of Diamonds

It reminded me of the story Acres of Diamonds by Russell Conwell. After working over 20 different jobs, I didn't know what direction to take until my neighbor Jerry—a man who bought and sold furniture—pointed out my own opportunity right in front of me. He noticed my little red Datsun pickup and said, "Carlton, people will pay you to haul things away." He even provided me with scrap wood for side racks and introduced me to a handyman friend to help build them. I realized that my own acre of diamonds was right there. The same truck I drove to college became the cornerstone of my business. At first, I rented tools like chainsaws and weed eaters, but soon enough, I invested in my own equipment. And the rest, as they say, is history.

And let me tell you, people accumulate a lot of junk. They buy things with great enthusiasm, only to stash them away in boxes and forget about them for years. Then one day, they realize, Why do I still have this?—and that’s where I came in, ready to haul it all away. I even had a trusty sidekick—Bicycle Bob. Bob could make a bicycle wheel spin faster than a whipperwill’s hind end. He was a bit of a free spirit, a ponytail-wearing, liberal-minded, ex-Catholic who was great to work with—when he was around. But come the first of the month, he’d disappear, spending his disability check on things that didn’t exactly help his back pain, if you catch my drift.

But physical clutter is just one kind of mess we deal with. The real problem? Mental clutter.

The Junk We Carry in Our Minds

We carry around all sorts of unnecessary baggage—anger, grudges, frustration, regrets. We replay old arguments, dwell on past mistakes, and fill our minds with the constant stream of negativity from the news. Every headline seems to scream doom and disaster. And if that’s not enough, we’ve got sitcoms, social media debates, and the ever-growing to-do lists rattling around in our heads like a junk drawer that never gets cleaned.

The result? No peace. Just a cluttered, restless mind.

And just like that old, broken treadmill taking up space in the garage, our mental junk doesn’t just go away on its own. We have to actively clear it out.

The Key to an Uncluttered Mind

In my years hauling junk, I found that some of the hardest clutter to get rid of wasn’t in people’s homes—it was in their hearts. Holding on to bitterness and anger is like keeping a garage full of useless junk. It serves no purpose, weighs us down, and keeps us from living freely.

The solution? We need to find our peace with God. We need to stop being at war with our Creator. The moment we surrender and trust in Christ, He begins the work of clearing out the clutter in our hearts. He heals our wounds, soothes past sorrows, and forgives the things we wish we could forget. And in doing so, He gives us real peace—the kind that can’t be taken away by circumstances, headlines, or even that one family member who knows how to push all the wrong buttons.

Proving People Wrong

Now, let’s talk about a different kind of clutter—the kind that gets passed down to you through the words of others.

When I was a kid, my uncle had a pretty grim prediction for me. When I left my aunt and uncle’s house to go into foster care, he basically told me I wouldn’t amount to much—that I’d end up in jail or hauling trash. Well, he wasn’t completely wrong. I did end up in juvenile hall over a chess game (long story), and I did go into the junk removal business. But let’s get something straight—most of what I hauled wasn’t trash. It was unwanted furniture, debris, boxes of miscellaneous things people didn’t need anymore, and sometimes, yes, big chunks of concrete.

Years later, I was invited to dinner at my aunt and uncle’s house up in Northern California. I decided it was time for a little update.

"You know, Uncle, you once told me I’d end up hauling trash. Well, I’m making $100 an hour."

Now, you’d think a normal response would be something like, Wow, Carlton, that’s great! You’ve got an entrepreneurial spirit. But no. His response?

"Yeah, but you don’t have a pension."

Not good for you, not I’m proud of you, just a reminder of what he thought I didn’t have. It reminded me of how my grandfather used to be. If you ever told him something good, he’d find the cloud in the silver lining. Well, you’re not working enough though, or Every Mexican in town is doing what you’re doing. Now, besides being an unnecessary put-down, it was also a racist remark, which is the kind of negativity that clutters up a person’s mind.

And that’s the problem with negativity. Some people look for things to be negative about. They choose to see the downside in every situation, even when something good happens. It’s a cluttered way of thinking, and it weighs people down more than any pile of junk I ever hauled away.

The Clutter of Success

Eventually, my little red truck days were behind me, and I moved on to bigger jobs—including hauling junk for celebrities. I never met Kevin Sorbo, but his wife Samantha cut me a couple of checks. I worked for Eva Longoria from Desperate Housewives and even did a job in Malibu for a party hosted by Dick Clark, the late American Bandstand star. That job involved loading up bags of catering garbage into a rented truck—a three-hour job that paid me nearly $500. Not bad for hauling trash!

But you know what? Even the rich and famous have clutter. Their garages are full of old furniture, outdated exercise machines, and dusty boxes of forgotten stuff—just like everyone else. And their minds? No less cluttered than ours. Money doesn’t clear out the junk in your soul. Only God can do that.

Final Thoughts

So, what’s the takeaway? If you’ve got a garage full of clutter, by all means, get rid of it. Sell it, donate it, haul it off—but don’t stop there. Look at the clutter in your mind and heart. What are you holding on to that’s weighing you down? Is it time to let go of past hurts? Is it time to clear out some negative influences?

More importantly, is it time to find real peace—the kind that only comes from knowing you’re in a right relationship with your Creator?

Because at the end of the day, clearing out junk isn’t just about a clean house. It’s about a free mind, a peaceful heart, and a life unburdened by the weight of the past. And that’s a kind of decluttering that’s truly worth the effort.

Brother Carlton ministers the gospel to the Los Angeles area. Formerly a Hollywood actor, SAG member, and property cleanup expert, he now spends most of his time studying the Scriptures and helping small businesses grow more profitably using world-class tactics and strategies. He also offers business coaching and inspirational speaking to help entrepreneurs and individuals achieve greater success. If you're a business owner looking to increase revenue, attract more customers, or need a dynamic speaker for your next event, contact Carlton at [email protected].  Put help in the subject line.