All my life I have wanted a simple life. Growing up I often got rid of a garbage bag filled with clothes to give away or things I didn’t think I would use. I continued this even as I got older. Writing this makes me think wow I must have a lot of excess if I can get rid of that much.
As a teacher I purge documents each year. I also try to get rid of books too, which is difficult. I found praying before I started to simplify my belongings helped to rid myself of the attachment.
Recently I got rid of movies I no longer needed. The movies no longer were needed to fill the hole in my heart that was now filled. I could give them to someone else to enjoy. And that was the key to letting go. Someone else could benefit. When I had this mentality it was much easier.
Now I feel I am at a place where I have simplified my belongings as much as I can at the present time. So my thoughts shifted to simplifying my thoughts and ideas. I have way too many website links, which causes frustration when I try to find something. I have too many documents on my computer and journals I likely no longer need. So I simplified those as well.
I don’t want more but I still feel attached to what I have. I simplify because I feel like all the things in our house weigh on my heart. I feel like we have an exorbitant amount of things when I look at our garage, and yet so much is frequently used: the snow blower, the bikes, the lawnmower, the tools, the garden supplies, and the grill.
- How much i
s too much? - Should we get rid of it? Maybe the heart of the issues is my own guilt when so many have so little. Why do I have so much? I guess I don’t know how to deal with these feelings.
- My first step in simplifying the heart would be to feel grateful and to use what we have, to accept our situation as a blessing.
- My next step is to work on detachment from my belongings, knowing that everything we have is a blessing from God and that at any moment it could all be lost.
I watched a few video sermons and found the quotes in the beginning inspirational and the sermon ideas a reality check. If you’d like to know what the Bible says about simplicity watch these sermons.
May you find contentment in what you have.
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