Downsizing

The sheer amount of “stuff” most Americans, including my household, have is preponderous comparatively. We are inundated with advice on how to organize, declutter, help a hoarder, and eliminate our stuff. One of the largest businesses, and one of the fastest growing, is rental storage units to store excess stuff.

Recently I listened to a podcast from Wild at Heart with John Eldridge on the last quarter of life. Part of the conversation between him and his guest was around eliminating stuff and why we continue to keep, for example, clothes we haven’t worn in fifteen years.

Often we keep things which have outlasted their usefulness or our ability to wear them, for emotional reasons tied to our identity in some way. Wedding dresses are a great example as are awards and plaques, catcher’s mitts, old license plates – the list can be quite long. Some are tied to memories such as an old toy or a teacup.

As we grow older, we often downsize our homes which also involves downsizing the stuff we have. Enter second hand stores, adult children’s closets, and of course, storage units.

But what about downsizing stuff that weighs us down emotionally or spiritually? How often do you go through your emotional closet and get rid of that cloak of anger or that sweater of jealousy? Those memories of wrongs done to you imagined or real? What’s hiding in the back of my internal closet causing a stench in my soul?

Too often, we hold on to stuff that never fit us or was never useful in the first place. Stuff which weighs us down on the journey of life. Stuff that blocks our joy, keeps us from extending grace, or focuses us on real or imagined wrongs. That stuff needs to be downsized to the trash bin. Not recycled. Not given away. Trashed.

Free up some space. Invite God to fill it for you.