By Roxanne Drury
This writing is yet another lesson learned from our recent move. There have been so many. You may surmise from the title that it will speak to the matter of possessions, unpacking, and saving “stuff”. You would be right! We will look at it from the perspective of sanctity and blessedness – the blessedness of simplicity.
One month into the adventure of moving 10 years’ worth of accumulation, plus some of the previous 30 years’ worth of “stuff” that was lugged from California, we still have a little more than half of a three-car garage full of boxes with no place to put them except where they are. Inside, the home is very livable. We have all we need to live comfortably and function well. So, what of the boxes in the garage? YIKES!
Currently, we have three perpetual lists: Things to Do, Things to Find, and a Wish List. Unfortunately, the Things to Do and Wish lists keep getting longer. The Things to Find list is almost all checked off, with no new additions in the foreseeable future. Whoot! Whoot! These lists have helped us stay focused and stand strong and brave in not bringing anything into the house that is not absolutely needed. The fact that the Things to Find list is nearly defunct speaks volumes.
In the hurry to get the office set up so I could stay on task with the That’s Life Blog, a new book, and email communication, I brought in the bin labeled ‘Rox’s Desktop.’ So much for staying strong and brave. The contents nearly made me hyperventilate. I tried to look through it, sort it, and discard some of it, and it gave me a serious headache. I have done this now three times. Each time, I repacked it and shoved it into the closet. Why did I save all of it? Why did I move it? Do I really need it if I don’t even know what’s there? Can’t it be printed again if I suddenly miss it? Man-o-man!
It was A.W. Tozer who said, “There can be no doubt that this possessive clinging to things is one of the most harmful habits in life.” I see that now. I see how clinging to possessions takes up space in one’s heart, home, and life, in the love for things, the desire to hang on to them, and the time spent sorting through all the thought-to-be treasures. It takes up heart space that rightfully belongs to God. We ask Jesus to come into our hearts and lives and to fill our homes. Is there room for Him among all the stuff?
In Luke 12:15, Jesus gives a warning, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” The implication here is that there is something much more important in a person’s life than their things. Jesus tells us exactly what it is in Luke 12:21: “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a relationship with God.” Our lives are not measured by what we own, nor is our worth. We are measured by our relationship with God.
What I am learning is that simplicity is blessed and beautiful. It brings freedom, peace, and joy. Clearing our new home of the unnecessary has created a calm atmosphere that wasn’t there before. Sir Winston Churchill said, “We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us.” I am finding that to be true.
The spare bedroom in our new home is my favorite room so far. I walk into it and immediately feel peaceful and filled with true joy. I find myself drawn to the room. It holds Grampa Allen’s 100-year-old table, the futon from my old office, the nesting tables we bought for our first home in 1976, the wooden chest from Great Grama Drury, a couple of lamps from our first home, two beautiful, meaningful small table decorations, a guitar, and on the window seat, three starter plants and a statue of a girl from when we believed we would never have a daughter. Every item is a memory of someone or something. The simplicity of that room somehow feels sacred and, yes, blessed.
Does your life feel chaotic and disordered? Perhaps it is time to take a fresh-eyed walk through your home and simplify your surroundings. There is no better time than now!
Begin with one room and ask yourself these questions:
As you answer these questions, begin the simplification process by removing, discarding, repurposing, and donating. As you do this, you will start to feel lighter. It’s true!
So, what about the garage full of boxes and the bin labeled ‘Rox’s Desktop’? Well, as Scarlett O’Hara said in Gone With the Wind, “Fiddle-dee-dee! Tomorrow is another day.”
I’ll keep you posted.
Shalom!
Roxanne Drury is a wife, mother, grandmother, and retired Christian preschool teacher who served the Lord in children’s ministry for over 45 years. She has written a group study guide on Psalm 23, as well as other books. She may be reached at glorylandbooks@gmail.com.
