Stuff, Possesions, Junk and Cool Trendy Things

It is slightly ironic that as I sit here waiting on two furniture deliveries the effect of sorting, giving, throwing, packing, unpacking, storing and giving of this past week has me slightly overwhelmed with the fact, we have way too much stuff.  When we began this whole process in February, it seemed we were ahead of the game.  I had time to go through boxes of keepsakes and memories.  Religiously sorting through letters, cards, journals, pictures and programs I felt like I had done a great culling and letting go.  In fact, I went through things a second and third time.  There were still too many memories taking up space, so I reluctantly shredded letters from friends.  The hardest being, only keeping some of the letters my mom wrote me when they lived in Georgetown.  My mom has always loved to write and receive letters which explains why I love that too.  She would write 2 and maybe sometimes 3 letters a week to me.  So, you see I had a plethora and a dilemma.  Painstakingly, I went through her letters and kept the most meaningful.  My mother's Alzheimer's makes this decision even more painful, but it had to be done.  Then there is the box full of wedding and shower cards.  Over three fourth of the cards, I don't even remember the people.  Shred!   There are boxes of school day memories and the like.  Some of that stuff went too.  I mean really, why did my mom keep all my workbooks?  Another fact confirmed, my artistic ability in drawing has not advanced too much since my kindergarten pictures.  Stick figures are my forte. 

Our entry way is divided like the wheat and the tares.  The boxes continue to increase for Katy Christian Ministries.  Some boxes need to go out to the casita bedroom, but I am still going through the boxes in there.  No matter, the room needs to be cleared for the bed and project table delivery on Thursday.  We think we need to order another bookcase for Roy's study.  He didn't realize how much space he had for books at the condo verses here at the house.  Several boxes hold things from my desk.  I just ordered a small desk for me that will double as a desk and enhance the entry way decor. 

It is a process.  Granted we both have lots of shorts and t-shirts because at the condo it took forever for clothes to dry.  The dryer vent went up to the roof and never did a good job.  Can you even realize how elated we have been when it took so little time to wash and dry sheets.  We freaked at the timeliness of jeans being dried.  Wow, this whole new washer and dryer thing has freed up lots of extra time.  We started going through clothes last night because we do not have room for everything.

Here is something that is just sad, I found a box that hadn't even been opened since we moved close to 18 years ago.  Serving trays that I hadn't even missed or remembered owning were the contents. 

While taking a break from boxes last night, I watched a little bit of Hoarders.  Now there is a show that will put light in your britches to get things done.  Just from watching a few minutes I had one last burst of energy to take care of more stuff.  The man who was the focus last night was trying to analyze why he started keeping everything.  He had a significant loss earlier in life and he thinks from that time onward, he began to "collect" which is hoarder talk for keeping all their junk.  During different times in this move I have contemplated why I can get on a kick of something and end up with a lot of that something.  Could be that when I was a kid our personal possessions were kind of sparse.  We didn't grow up poor but I think my parents, more so my dad's view was, don't give your children things that they might like, need or want because this lack will make them strong and not weak.  Everything whether it be discipline, love, Christmas, or getting ready to go back to school, was geared to this mantra, you will be strong, in control and not be weak.  This way nothing can hurt you.  Great theory but it didn't play out well in real life.  Roy is the middle child and his whole focus was to please his parents.  He though if he didn't ask for anything, they would notice this wonderful trait and give him what he needed.  Well, that didn't work either because of the whole squeaky wheel gets the grease thing.  Really, the middle kid of five boys... So there you are two damaged people, who like stuff and the lack of stuff early in life has played out into too much stuff later on. 

Hmmm....could things be trying to fill that hole in my spirit that can only be filled by God?  It hasn't ever really dawned on me, this obsession, until looking at it full on..in the face this past week.  I have never been one to hold onto things too tightly, so maybe that justified everything.  I don't know, but I did read something this morning that kind of has me thinking and wondering...  "It's not our religious activities, it's not keeping the rules, it's not being a dutiful soldier fulfilling a cause.  He wants our lives and our hearts in intimate joyful relationship with Him."  Living on the Edge by Chip Ingram   So then maybe I should be thinking God likes me whether or not I have this cool stuff.  I joked with friends the other day that maybe now after seeing all we have moved, that I should read Radical. 

Back to work at hand, with a song in my heart, gratefulness for this home and maybe a little more understanding.