"Stuff"

The title of this post would imply that it is about a random assortment of unrelated items that I couldn't link together in a more coherent way than with a vague descriptor like "stuff".  But that's actually not the case at all.  I've been writing this post in my head for weeks now, and just haven't managed to get it down on, theoretical, paper.  You see, it's a topic that God has been teaching me a new perspective on for some time now.  And believe me, it's taking quite some time.

Possesions.  Belongings.  Worldly items.  To me, "stuff" is just the most effective word.  The stuff that fills my closets, drawers, garage, attic, cabinets, shelves, and every other available space.  The stuff that fills my check register and empties our checking account.  The stuff that fills our calendars.  The stuff that fills my thoughts.  Bottom line:  how much of this stuff is from God?

Where to start?  Well, I started thinking about this post several weeks ago when Jason and I dedicated a Saturday to cleaning out our garage.  Incidentally, it was that Saturday in early November when it was 30 degrees at 7 a.m. when we began.  We've only lived in our house for a few weeks shy of two years, so the garage was genuinely not that much of a mess.  We've always been able to park one car in there with plenty of room.  The main problem was that we had never invested in any type of shelving or storage, so pretty much everything was on the floor.  We tried really hard when we got married and moved in not to move stuff that we hadn't used in years.  Overall, we were pretty successful, we thought.  Garage cleaning day still yielded a much bigger pile of trash than I anticipated. 

The giveaway pile was not as large, as I had done a fairly through clean-out before a garage sale last year.  I had a box of clothes that didn't sell there, and Jason added a few things to it.  A small table, some old luggage, and a few other assorted items rounded it out.  I was determined to get it out of the house, so I had Jason load it in my car immediately.  I knew that seeing it cluttering up my car would motivate me to deal with it.  I had heard that by itemizing your donations to charity using the charity's valuation guide, you can actually wind up getting more for them than selling in a garage sale.  I was stunned at how much!  For example, a women's sweater is valued from a low of $3.75 to a high of $15.  So for something that's in good condition, and I just don't wear anymore, an average of $8 is certainly reasonable.  When was the last time you got $8 for a sweater at a garage sale?  Yes, it's a tax deduction, not hard cash, but figuring in our marginal rate, we are still getting a lot more credit for that one carload of stuff than we would have sold it for - if we even could sell it!  Remember, the box of clothes I had was leftover from a garage sale.  And it was sooo much less work and stress.  And then it was gone - out of my way, on it's way to being useful to someone else. 

But the discussion on stuff is about more than cleaning out the garage.  What motivated me to be up at 7 a.m. on a Saturday, in sub-freezing temperatures, to clean out a garage?  Or clean out the office/soon-to-be-nursery and guest room closets a week later?  Or to try to limit the amount of useless items we moved into our house two years ago?  The desire of my heart is peace and order.  Too much stuff makes me stressed.  As I've learned this over the past few years, the question became how to handle it.  As I try to do with anything causing me stress or lack of peace in my soul, I took it to the Lord.  Let me tell you, the prayer, "Lord, please help me figure out what to do about the fact that I have more clothes than will fit in my closet" didn't get far off the lips or out of the heart without the absurdity of it hitting me.  My STUFF is causing me STRESS?  And I have to even ask what to do about it??  What is wrong with this picture?

We have not been promised that life on this earth would be easy or stress-free.  We are promised that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  We are commanded to be anxious for nothing.  We are warned not to store up treasures for ourselves on earth.  There are things on earth that will cause us stress.  Large trials of faith involving loss, relationships, sin, sickness, etc.  And small realities of life that just aren't fun sometimes.  Work, balancing the checkbook, cleaning house, grocery shopping come to mind.  These things sometimes cause me stress because I have to do them when I don't want to.  Such is life, and adulthood.  They are necessary.  But how many unnecessary things cause me stress?  Having to move a gillion knick knacks in order to dust my furniture.  Having so many clothes in the closet that I can't find a hanger for the clean ones, and can't find a place to hang them.  Redecorating my house for every season/holiday/event of the year.  Scrapbooking.  Blogging.  Attending every social event that occurs.  None of these things are bad.  If they bring you JOY, wonderful!  If they bring you STRESS, why are you still doing them?  Or in the case of physical possessions, why are you still letting them live in your house?  Clothes are a genuine source of stress if you don't have any to wear.  Or you don't have a coat to put on your child in the winter.  But to be stressed because I have more than I can keep organized?  May it never be!

I'm still asking myself theses questions, though through the grace of God, I have learned to release some of these "obligations".  I enjoy blogging, and it's something I wish I did more often.  But it does not deserve to make me feel guilty for not doing it.  My house is pretty simple, without a lot sitting around for me to dust.  I don't decorate for any holiday except Christmas.  And in fact, all we did this year was decorate the tree and mantle, and hang the outside wreaths.  My spring planting consists of two pots by the front door.  None of these things make it less of a home.  For our family, they make it more of the home we want - a safe place of peace, love, and calm - because we spend less time cleaning/decorating/gardening and more time with each other.  This year's Christmas decorations are minimal, but I LOVE looking at the tree and mantle, and I also love knowing that come New Year's, when we are ready to start working on the nursery during our time off, our time won't be consumed with packing up 4 tubs of stuff.  Maybe one day it will bring me joy to have every room fully decorated for whatever season we are in, but today is not that day. 

It's two weeks before Christmas.  Most of us are probably stressed about one thing or another.  Is the stuff that's causing you stress truly important enough to hold that power over you? 

Ok, figuring out how to close this ridiculously long, rambling post is now causing me stress. :)  I'm going to choose not to let it - after all, I'm not forcing anyone to read it, right? 

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  Philippians 4:6 

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal."  Matthew 6:19