Spring Cleaning Begins Early This Year

Do you ever realize how much stuff you actually own? I mean seriously go in your home or if you are straight out of college your bedroom and count everything you own. If you are like me you will be shocked at how many items you actually own. I am talking about counting every piece of clothing, every book, every piece of furniture....EVERYTHING! Things will start to add up fast!

I was reading in a magazine the other day about a guy who commited for one year, in order to simplify his life, to live with only 100 things. Now I am not exactly sure what his 100 things were or what he included or didn't include, but if he did include everything he owns I am sure that he gave up a lot. So after reading this magazine article I went into my bedroom and throughout my house and started counting everything I own, when I got to 350 I stopped. I stopped counting because I was ashamed. I couldn't believe that I owned over 350 things.

Then when I started taking into consideration all of the people that I have met over the years in both the U.S.A. and in other countries who had next to nothing....my heart just started to break. I have seen with my own eyes people living out of cardboard boxes. I have seen a family of 6 sharing a one room hut so how did I let myself accumulate this much stuff? At first, I attempted to blame it on television and department stores for their advertisements, but honestly the only person I could blame was myself. I have realized that throughout the course of my life, I have been at times an unwise steward of the money that I have received. My room and my boxes in the basement are my proof.

So with keeping in mind all of those who have none, I have decided to clear out my things. I have been trying to narrow everything down so that it can fit into one car, of course this does not include furniture and the car is not a compact car but I am taking a step in the right direction. I am trying to streamline my life and the things in it. I don't really need everything that I own so then the question is raised what do I really need in my life in order to survive? That is something to think about.

If I truly believe everything that I do about the Lord then is it really wise for me to be accumulating all of these possessions? Probably not. I know that there is a better use for all of the money that I have spent and that others have spent on these possessions so it is about time that I start making wise decisions when it comes to spending money.

As my mother has always said, "You can't take it with you."

On March 12th, I will be selling a lot of things in order to raise money to fund my schooling and mission work in Costa Rica. This schooling is going to help prepare me in my future ministry with Spanish speaking people. This week I purchased my plane ticket to Costa Rica and by Friday the 18th I will have my application forms mailed to the Spanish Language Institute.