It's Just Stuff: Teach This Truth Well

A couple of years ago we moved from Texas to Illinois. It wasn't a short distance or a journey without emotion. Moving is rarely easy though home is where you live at any given time. Nonetheless, at our age, it was still a challenge though we were thankful for our new ministry opportunity. And we're actually moving again in the next few months.

However, one thing surprised both Jackie and me the last time. We were shocked at how much stuff we still had after eight years in a condo. We downsized before we went to Texas so we thought we had toed the line on accumulation and we probably were pretty frugal. But we still had a lot of stuff.  Maybe 120 boxes plus beds, dressers and all sorts of other odds and ends.

Where does it come from?  I guess that depends upon the person or family.  The common denominator?  We all have a lot of it.

Why? Well first of all, we don't throw much away.  So many things seem sacred and sentimental and they just aren't. But we think we might need that or want to look at it again. We have some sort of fear that we might lose something valuable, essential for living.

Second, we tend to think our stuff makes us better or more important. Having the bigger house, boat, fancy clothes and all the rest is often a rite of passage for young couples. But it's all more stuff, much of which we don't need but we think it makes us more important.

Third, we like extra. It just feels good to have more than one or two of most everything. And there's nothing wrong with that and planning ahead for hard times. But most of the world doesn't have extra. And we don't always need it either.

You see, it's important that as parents, spouses and even friends we remind each other that we only need so much. We must learn and teach the importance of having enough and getting excited about giving things away.

Like the name of the old movie, we need to focus on The Right Stuff. And that is way more than more things to move the next time.