Packing your house up to move is never fun. It wasn't fun for us, either, last week as we packed up all of our belongings to help prepare for our awaiting adventures overseas. Our situation was a little bit unique in that instead of unpacking in a bigger, better, nicer, upgraded home with a pool....like most Americans do when they move, we simply moved our boxes out one by one to the front driveway and unloaded them in the yard. We were only 20 minutes into decorating our front lawn with all of our belongings when passerbys starting inquiring about all of the good stuff they were seeing. We spent the whole morning unloading and pricing our items, only to sell virtually 90% of all of our earthly possessions in less than 3 days for pennies on the dollar.
During this emotional time, we battled garage sale vultures (people who want everything for a dime - even if it is worth $300), rain, rain and more rain, and children with 104-105 fevers. Oh yeh, and did I mention my tears?
I felt really bad for this one lady who purchased several "sentimental" items from me. Each time she came to pay for what she had chosen to buy, tears would start streaming down my face. It is not the stuff I will miss, but the memories behind the stuff. Letting go of my past to pursue an unfamiliar future is, at certain moments, overwhelming for me. I so badly want to cling to all of the good moments I had with my family and my stuff. When my heart feels burdened with grief at having to "let go" I have to run to the Lord for strength and a reminder that we are doing this because we love Him and we desire to obey Him in all areas of our lives.
John and I have been talking lately about how we now own so little, but how our level of happiness and joy has increased. God is allowing us to "throw of" all that entangles and ensnares us. This is a testimony to us that temporary stuff that can be easily discarded or burned is not what truly make us happy or gives us a so called "quality of life." As long as we have our family, the promises that God has given to us for the amazing plans He has for our lives and our precious Lord, then we know that we have all that we will ever need and it's certainly not stuff that you can purchase ! Jess
During this emotional time, we battled garage sale vultures (people who want everything for a dime - even if it is worth $300), rain, rain and more rain, and children with 104-105 fevers. Oh yeh, and did I mention my tears?
I felt really bad for this one lady who purchased several "sentimental" items from me. Each time she came to pay for what she had chosen to buy, tears would start streaming down my face. It is not the stuff I will miss, but the memories behind the stuff. Letting go of my past to pursue an unfamiliar future is, at certain moments, overwhelming for me. I so badly want to cling to all of the good moments I had with my family and my stuff. When my heart feels burdened with grief at having to "let go" I have to run to the Lord for strength and a reminder that we are doing this because we love Him and we desire to obey Him in all areas of our lives.
John and I have been talking lately about how we now own so little, but how our level of happiness and joy has increased. God is allowing us to "throw of" all that entangles and ensnares us. This is a testimony to us that temporary stuff that can be easily discarded or burned is not what truly make us happy or gives us a so called "quality of life." As long as we have our family, the promises that God has given to us for the amazing plans He has for our lives and our precious Lord, then we know that we have all that we will ever need and it's certainly not stuff that you can purchase ! Jess
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