Today a Facebook post jumped off my computer screen and bit me in the face (Embracing Homemaking). It was a blogpost from a year ago about throwing out old stuff. I’ve been on a wishy-washy mission to do that, and was doing pretty well back in August, but then life happened and the holidays happened and, well, stuff started to pile up some more. But then, there it was, accompanied by angels singing and lights a blazing . . . . A LIST!!! An actual LIST of things to get rid of . . . 200 items no less. Oh, how I love a list, don’t you? It’s so neat and orderly . . . just begging you to accomplish something and then . . . CHECK IT OFF! So much satisfaction. I scanned the list that this person had put together and found it to be really quite brilliant. There are a few items on there that will be truly difficult. Old books? Yikes. That’s item number 13, but I may knock that down the list a skosh. I may be a bit OCD, but not so much that I HAVE to go in order, or even get something done every single day. I’d like to think I could accomplish this by same time next year. Seems feasible to me.

You see, I’ve been getting this message of “Pare down” for a little while now. And it makes me wonder, “Well, why, God? What for? Am I going to move to a smaller place and need to have less belongings?” Or (of course, since we tend to go to the worst-case-scenario) “Am I going to die and don’t want to leave too much junk for my kids and husband to deal with?” I’d choose the former rather than the latter, but I think that’s missing the point altogether.

The point being: I DON’T NEED ALL THIS STUFF!…….. But the thing is, I sort of love all this stuff.

I could be a hoarder if left to my own devices. I watch that show on TV and wonder how anyone could live like that?!  The horror! And then I walk into my closet and find kid’s art projects from 1989 and purses I wouldn’t carry again if you paid me, but darn, they bring back good memories. Some of this stuff, has to go.

That’s why I love staying in a hotel room. You basically have all you need in life, and not a lot more. (Given there is a coffee pot somewhere in the building.) One can usually keep a hotel room fairly tidy because there is not a lot of stuff to strew everywhere. Because along with loving lots of stuff, I also have a penchant for orderliness. I love to organize things. One of my favorite ways to “play” with my granddaughters is to group all their various toys into their separate piles. Tons of fun for me, but a complete waste of time to them.

Matthew 6:19-21 says “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Since I don’t care for moths, vermin or thieves, and would rather my heart be seeking more important “stuff,” I’m declaring a Purgefest. I’m going to make my way through this list one un-needed item at a time, so help me, God. I’m writing this down so someone will keep me accountable. Feel free to ask me how it’s going.

I’m not in the habit of quoting philosophers I’ve never heard of before (or even the famous ones) but this young man (Criss Jami) said it pretty well, I thought:  “The reality of loving God is loving Him like he’s a Superhero who actually saved you from stuff rather than a Santa Claus who merely gave you some stuff.”  Grateful today for a God who saved me from a lot of stuff and who continues to work on me daily.

Here I go – – item #1 – – CHECK!!