Seasons Change

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matt 6:19-21

We did some decluttering here this weekend, trying to make space for things we actually use on a regular basis. I talk a good line about having ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’ but the reality is I have trouble letting go of things when their place is ‘not here.’

I am sentimental to a fault, and still have almost every card any of my children made or bought for me. Multiply 5 sons times 30 years of Mother’s Days and birthdays and random other holidays, and you can see the problem. Yes, in theory these things all have ‘a place’, but my file drawers are bursting at the seams, and won’t fit this month’s checking account statement.

My tendency to hold onto things beyond their useful life isn’t limited to paperwork. I also hold on to items that once were necessary tools for activities I no longer participate in or hobbies I once enjoyed. None of which matters, except it explains why one particular closet here is always stuffed to the brim. It is the closet where I store supplies for volunteer work I have enjoyed. This treasure trove of sweet memories, samples of craft projects, books and games reminds me of who I used to be, not who I am today.

Hanging on to those things makes me feel more secure, as if their tangible existence verifies that I have done something that mattered, proof that I did something of value. The problem with that attitude is that it is a burden to carry all of my past, so heavy that it keeps me from being flexible in the present. It reveals my insecurity, and a lack of trust in my Creator.

God doesn’t ask me to prove my existence or worth to him by storing treasure of past accomplishments; He loves me today, in the present. Instead of grieving over what I can no longer do, God wants to reveal what he is accomplishing through me today. Seasons change, but God’s plan is eternal.

I’m happy to say that the closet is now swept clean, ready for whatever adventure God has planned for my future. Next time I’m feeling really brave I will tackle my file drawers.