I’ve been doing a lot of decluttering this year. One of my New Year’s goals was to get everything OUT that I didn’t want IN. It’s a simple concept really but the action takes quite a while. Probably the bigger chore though is the decision of what you keep or what you pitch.
Some things are obvious but others may have sentimental value or you may think “I might be able to wear that someday” or “what if I need that in the future”?
One of the harder decisions for me was some of the art work the girls made when they were younger. I know….I know. They are 27 and 23 years old but some of those things have sentimental value as I can remember their sweet little faces as they gave it to me or even the agony of trying to create something just perfect to display at the art show or get a decent grade from the teacher.
Some of the art pieces themselves had sentimental value to them as well. Although I have it saved in pieces because it fell apart over the years, Morgan made a mobile that had Styrofoam cones on it with pictures of people she had lost in her life and wanted to honor. One of the cones had a picture of her grandma. Another one had a picture of her favorite teacher, known as “Sned”. Two cones included pictures of her uncles and they were all held together by a cone that was made into an angel. Who could get rid of that!!!
The green turtle jewelry holder or fish toothbrush holder; the paper mache “Hang Loose” Hawaii hand; the mask that had the Tennessee Lady Vols names on every petal of the flower; the painting of the village with sports equipment as the buildings. Who could seriously part with those things? Answer: probably anyone who wasn’t the mom or dad.
But to parents those things are precious. To us, those kids didn’t make junk. They made creations. That’s how God looks at us. We are all different in looks and personalities and attitudes and talents. But God looks at us and says “I’m going to use that one to help bring my other wayward child back home.” Or “I’m going to let this one wait on the shelf a while until she learns to trust me.” Or “I’m going to create the most beautiful experience by using this one and that one to bring glory and honor to me.”
God didn’t make any junk and He will never pitch us away into the trash. He wants to keep us. Do we want to be kept in His loving arms forever or do we want to throw it all away on the junk and the sin in this world? It’s your decision.
I choose to keep Him.
