Excess

You can't take it with you! I've been thinking a lot lately about excess. Funny that everywhere I turn I'm being faced with my conviction. Two weeks ago I listened to a message about giving generously and how Americans have so much that we need air conditioned storage units to store our excess. I've only watched the tv program "Hoarders" once but it's been on several times this past week as I've turned on the tube to watch the Olympic games. Last week my sister was down and she looked in my dining room which was filled to the brim because I am "reorganizing" and said, you may be a borderline hoarder... I had lunch with a good friend who just finished reading a very powerful book about letting go of our stuff and giving generously. I haven't read it but I do feel it was a gentle nudge from God through my friend. I consider myself a "collector". I love stuff and when I buy stuff it's usually vintage and I get it for a "good" deal. I really have no use for it, but I love its beauty and the story it tells... Bologna...I tell myself that. Really I just love my stuff. I have a very hard time looking at something and saying that is beautiful, but I don't need it... I say I love you, I must have you now before you get away! Listening and Doing... it's easy to listen to a message or read a word from God and say amen... I need to do that... but the doing it part... Not so easy. I've been in my dining room this morning thinking about what I could give away, what I have never used and probably never will... It's soooo hard. I have junk everywhere. My house is so cluttered with treasures I've never used. It's time!!! I have a love affair with chairs. I won't mention how many chairs I've purchased, recovered or slipped and then have no place to put them. I think I have 14 extra chairs in my house that need to go. I feel overwhelmed with the stuff... and dishes... OMG I can't count how many sets of vintage dishes, ironstone ware, christmas dishes, easter dishes, halloween dishes, fall dishes and so on... it's a problem folks. I'm on a mission to declutter and give away a lot!! I usually have a sack full of stuff for my sister because she is a single mom and we have similar taste. I'm going to weed out the closets and haul stuff to the women's shelter in our community. I'm going to fervently pray for God to work on my heart so that this is not an excruciating process. I'm going to cling to these verses: Matthew 6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Matthew 19:21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Mark 10:21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."