The one I don’t want to write…but have to
If you are stopping by for the first time, we are in a series this week about a great book called Make Room for What you Love by Melissa Michaels…check out more here //theinspiredroom.net/make-room-for-what-you-love/
***Also…pssssst…..if you also get the Thursday email, it’s different from the post today…so check it out too =0)
When I started this series, I mentioned that the book represents more to me than just another book on how to declutter and organize your home.
It doesn’t take a lot of time reading my posts to figure out that, to me, most everything in life really points us to what God is showing us about Him and how He wants to relate to us in our everyday walk.
One of the reasons I have trouble digging through our old stuff is that it represents more than stuff to me.
As I open a random cardboard box and start pulling out little league ball caps and a poodle skirt from the 50’s birthday party; a giant penny that my parents got one of the kids and the cheap trinket gifts they bought each other at the Santa Shop held at school each year…the tears start to well up.
Suddenly this empty house is echoing with funny things they said and squabbles to be broken up.
The phone is ringing and the back door is slamming, yet again, and one kiddo is yelling ‘MOM!!!’ from the basement while another is yelling ‘MOMMMMMM!!!!’ from the front porch.
And I fold the box flaps back together and leave because I don’t want to lose those precious memories.
So I go to another place and I start to sort through some things and suddenly I am hit with vivid reminders of changes that have painted broad strokes of pain over memories that used to bring me joy.
Now the memories of what made me happy are laced with sorrow and loss and so again…. I push it all back in the box because it is too hard to face.
And here is where Melissa’s book yet again speaks to me like a wise and understanding friend.
In the book she is addressing the challenge of facing the mess of treasures that have been tucked away because we didn’t deal with these possessions in a timely way when they were no longer useful.
She refers to the things that we hold on to as “baggage” if it is keeping us from moving into embracing what we have right now.
The attachment that I feel to these memory-holding objects is, in reality, stealing the joy of what the heart of this HOME is right now in THIS season of our life.
But it goes deeper for a Christ-follower to realize the ugly truth about what is going on here.
As I read her thoughts revealing the bondage all of our stored items represent, I was reminded of the repeated message of idolatry that keeps popping up in my studies…
how idols may not be the things we worship, but they might very well be the things we serve…with our time and thoughts and attention. (Kelly Minter, No Other Gods)
So I take to heart these words:
“…we have to sometimes face good or painful memories…and sometimes even say goodbye to things from chapters of our life because they are no longer serving us.
It’s messy but so worth it to live more fully right now. You have to enter right into the mess, bring it all out into the open and own it.” page 170 Make Room for What you Love, Melissa Michaels; Harvest House Publishers
I confess to you, I don’t know how to enter into the mess, whether the mess is clutter in closets or clutter in my heart….
It scares me to think of bringing it all out in the open…and owning the way things have turned out…to say goodbye to chapters of our life….and to let go of things that are no more.
I fear I will finally shatter into fine dust if I bring it all out and look it right in the face.
And then I realize…I am fearing and thus “serving” an idol by allowing all of these THINGS to take up room in our home and my heart.
I don’t want to miss serving God and I don’t want to miss what He has for this home right now because I was clinging to the good and afraid to face the pain.
By allowing the thoughts and emotions, both good and bad, to control my actions…I have lifted them up above my God and that…is not okay.
So with God’s help…one decision at a time…one box at a time…
letting go of fear that I won’t do it perfectly…
I will loose my grip on the temporal.
And all the while, I will be so thankful for the One who will guide me through.
So I want to move forward serving HIM…
not our memories of the past or our hopes for the future…
I want to cling to the One who is the same…
yesterday…
today…
forever.
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REMEMBER….If you leave a comment on Facebook or this site today through Friday, your name goes in a drawing to receive a copy of this book.
Stuff you should know:
I will hand deliver it if you live locally or mail it to your home if you do not.
If you already have one, go ahead and comment so you can gift it to someone else.
IF you don’t want your comment published – just tell me that IN the comment. Your name still goes in the drawing…whether the comment is to be posted or not.
I never include emails or last names (unless YOU have a website you would like people to know about).
Also you should know…giveaways and such are a method bloggers/websites use to gauge how big their audience is and to capture emails for future promotions. (GASP…it’s true…even the most godly freebies are often used to measure readership…it’s not wrong but I want to be up front with you <3)
cannot let go for many reasons
Completely understand…and Carol, that is the beauty found in the book. As we face things that represent memories, we get to decide what we have room to store and what to let go of. The “things” don’t own us, we own them to be used or given away. And the memories…those are not really given away…just the “stuff”….love you so much, you sweet woman…
Oh, Laura! There are no words for all the things this has brought to mind.
Bless you <3
Boy that hits home for me too!
I am in good company Sue!
I struggle with the exact same feelings. I find it nearly impossible to relinquish things of my kids’ childhoods. My kids have medical issues that didn’t begin until they had outgrown their babyhood. I look at their keepsakes as “Before and After.” I know this is outlook that is keeping me from complete joy and that is what I am working on. Melissa’s book is wonderful! Thank you for your honesty.
There are so many situations that life throws at us to change how we thought things would be. It is a struggle, but as we bring these sorrows and disappointments humbly to God — sometimes over and over….and invite Him in, I believe we will experience a beauty that only He could orchestrate. God bless your dear mom-heart <3