When we moved into our home (built in ‘47) we had no money to spend on extras. Most of our furniture was either second hand or home made (yes, I have that kind of an amazing husband). We thought we would get to the changes that were needed later on… well ‘later on’ took 27 years! After a year of being home more than usual, we (like millions of others) decided it was time to do some things…. Neither one of us is trendy and we enjoy simple things, but the yellow and light blue counter top was on our agenda to be changed, and the walls really needed to be painted, and the bathroom needs to be more ‘older adult’ friendly. Those were the planned things, but then you realize that the doorknobs really need to be updated, and the homemade bedroom furniture needed a new color, and ….. Well you know what I mean.

We moved most of our belongings out of the home so that the painter had an easier way to get things done. Did you know that we used 40 banker boxes to pack just the books?

But that also made us think about other things:

Our busyness can sometimes get in the way of living and even good endeavors can take over life.

That sometimes you have to step back to enjoy the beauty of things (like going through old photo albums).

That when you don’t pay attention you can become a hoarder of things that are really not needed.

That there is a reason why things have to be orderly….(like knowing where to find your clothing).

That the minimalism movement is a good thing, really!

That we can learn from our friends in the Southern Hemisphere who often have way less than us and yet enjoy life more.

That every single thing in our home really should bring us joy (well, I am not so sure about the dish pan).

There are so many lessons to learn, but most of all it made me realize how consumerism has taken over our nation, that the newest and biggest and …… is important to have even if it costs us our time and energy to pay for, to maintain, and to store.

How many storage places are filled with ‘stuff’ that will never be used again? How much stuff is in my home that is really not needed? Dobson (a famous pastor and author) talked about kids only needing 10 toys and if another toy comes in the house they have to give one away. What if we would do that as adults? Wait, maybe that is what garage sales are all about.

We live in a world that is unpredictable and outright scary at times, adding stuff that keeps us busy is one way of coping, but what if we turned it around and would give away more and be satisfied with less? Would that change the way we see work and relationships and life as a whole? Could our abundance help someone else?

When Jim and I got married 34 years ago, Jim had just came back from China and I was still a student and working… we were dirt poor and Jim’s mom got us tons of amazing things…. All at garage sales! The sowing machine still works. It taught me a powerful message, it does not have to be new to make a lasting expression!

As we are putting our home back together I am challenging myself to evaluate every piece that goes back…. Does it bring me joy? Does it have meaningful memories? Do we really need it (when was the last time we really used that)? Can someone else be blessed by something I have and don’t really need? Can I use my limited resources for a good cause or do I really need/want that new thing? There are non-profits in town who make every penny count and your extra office supplies, or furniture could be a blessing to them (just don’t give them your junk). When we reevaluate how we spend money we can be more generous. When we rethink what we already have and enjoy it, it brings freedom. When we realize how rich we really are we can be more thankful.

For now, I better go and see if I can find my clean underwear… yes, it is somewhere!