Extra Stuff

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.  Joshua 24:15

I’m not a saver and I’m not a collector but I still seem to have more stuff than I really need.  I’ve got kids keepsake stuff, school stuff, kitchen stuff and a little bit of “just in case I need it” stuff.  We will be building a house soon and as I think about packing and moving I wonder how much stuff I can do without.  The thought of packing up a few decades of stuff is a little overwhelming.  The thought of picking out all the stuff for the new house can be a little overwhelming too.  I decided to divide the house up into small sections and go through every drawer, closet and space bit by bit.  As I was mapping out my plan, I came across this little story and it really put things in perspective and made the tasks ahead seem much less overwhelming.

A tourist from America paid a visit to a renowned Polish rabbi, Hofetz Chaim.  The tourist was astonished to see that the rabbi’s house was only a simple room filled with books plus a table and a bench.  “Rabbi,” asked the tourist, “where is all your furniture?” “Where is yours?” replied the rabbi. “Mine?” asked the puzzled American. “But I am only a visitor here, I’m only passing through.” “So am I.” said the rabbi.

Every now and then I need a little zap in the thought process like this story to help me get things in proper perspective.  I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t be sacrificing prayer time to decide if if want to go with sage or cypress green in the laundry room and I don’t suppose anyone will notice if I have new end tables and lamps or if I repurpose  the same ones I’ve had for years.  The big thought that just keeps running through my mind is gratitude.  The past week I have prayed for balance and peace in this whole process and along came the perfect little story at the perfect time…He’s so fancy and I’m so grateful for his love and attention to my prayer.

A Seed To Plant:  Read the story again and pray about the ways God might be speaking to you through this little story.​

Blessings on your day!