Filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:19
After 21 years in the same house, my husband and I are moving to a space one third the size of what we’ve enjoyed. To meet the challenge, I’ve done a lot of decluttering, but the need to leave the place empty is quite a different reality.
I only thought I’d made headway on this until it became increasingly evident everything—EVERYTHING—must be either tossed, donated, sold or fit into a proper size box.
Item by item, room by room, the cupboards, drawers, closets and rooms are being emptied, these spaces previously filled with a wide variety of essentials and—as I’ve discovered—non-essentials.
Throughout the arduous process, I’ve struggled to discern what to toss and what to keep, what to sell and what to donate. And if something goes in a box for keeping, what size is best?
What if my stuff gets misplaced?
In exasperation, I lamented to my husband, “Some things just can’t be boxed up.”
But as we’ve worked to clear out our living spaces—the walls once holding precious images of our kids, family portraits, and artwork becoming increasingly barren and colorless—I switched from lament to thanksgiving.
The fact that I have things of value to fit into a box (or consider selling or donating, for that matter) is a gift from God.
The memories occurred here aren’t made to be packaged and taped anyway. Nor can they. God gave me a heart in which to fill things of greatest value.
People, family, relationship, laughter. Those are all uniquely ours and will live on in our hearts wherever we go.
Home is where you and I are.
Home is the presence of the living, eternal God whose goodness and love and provision can not be contained in a box.
We are...Filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:19 (NIV)
While cupboards stripped of their contents return a hollow stare, I shut them, knowing they will be filled again by others and my heart will continue to be filled with the fullness of God, far more than I can ask or imagine.
When have you struggled to release things of this earth in favor of greater intimacy with God and a longing for more of his presence?
Mary
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