Spring Cleaning

One of my goals for March is to go through our house, garage, and attic and do some major spring cleaning. Jody and I are trying to simplify our lives and along with that goes a lot of "stuff." I'm terrible at getting rid of stuff because "what if we need it someday." My goal is to get rid of everything that hasn't been used in a year. If we haven't used it in that long and it's not some special memory item, then it needs to be given to someone who can use it.

We've got enough toys and clothes in our house to take care of an entire neighborhood! So we're going to go through everything and be very selective about what stays. The boxes of decorations that we don't even remember putting in the attic need to go! The toys that have only been touched once since Ben was born need to go! Once we've sorted through everything, we're going to have a yard sale to raise money to buy a lawnmower and weed-eater because we've decided that paying someone to mow the yard is not a good use of our money. Everything that doesn't sell is going to the Wilson County Help Center to be given to someone in the area who needs it.

One summer when we took the youth to Centrifuge, we did a missions activity that demonstrated how the money, food/water, and medical resources were distributed in the world. It showed us how those of us in First World countries had more than we needed, how those in Second World countries had barely enough, and the Third World countries were lacking. At the end of the activity, they showed us that if the resources were to be evenly distributed across all of the people, everyone would have what they needed and no one would be without their basic needs. That demonstration has really stuck with me and constantly reminds me that I have way more than I need, although I frequently get caught up in the desire to have more "stuff." I don't want to be responsible for hoarding things that I don't need when someone else could greatly benefit from them.

Matthew 25:40 "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'

James 1:27 "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."