Downsizing Is An Art

Moving day is always a stressful time, especially at this time of year. It starts out with a great idea to find a more suitable place to live, or it may be forced on us by the military, family members, or even our circumstances. In any case, it seems very exciting. The anticipation of a new home in a new place, finding just the right spot for the furniture, new pillows or curtains we may enjoy sewing or buying, and decorations to make our home cozy and welcoming can all be extremely fun and nerve-racking at the same time.

Downsizing Is An Art

One of the first things we have to do is get past the packing and cleaning. If we have been in the old place for any length of time, we might even uncover things stored away in boxes that we completely forgot about until now. Old memories like school yearbooks, a 13-page essay paper from that literature class that was going to make us the next Hemingway, and old clothes that no longer fit.

We might cringe a bit, but some things will definitely need to be donated or thrown away. We've all heard the saying, “If you haven’t used something in two years or more, it’s time to discard it.” Let someone else get some joy out of it now that we are done with the item. Packing and moving is always a great way to simplify our lives once and for all.

It is true relief when we discover this kind of freedom just from passing our stuff onto someone else who needs it. Then, when we reach our new place, the items we kept take on a new life of their own. They are even more beautiful than we ever realized as they are freed from their boxes and put to good use.

Have Faith Will Travel

It seems we always loose something when moving. But while unpacking we may recognize something else. A yearning to recreate something we lost a long time ago. It was evident in the lives of our loved ones from long ago. Something we admired in them, and which had barely started to bloom in us.

If we try hard enough, we can remember that seed of faith. The times we spent with our parents and grandparents going to worship on the Lord’s Day; kneeling by our beds as children to say our bedtime prayers; saying grace before meals; reading the Bible.

We may have forgotten to water and grow that seed, but it’s still there and can be revived. With a little care and attention, our Mustard Seed Faith can grow so large we can “move mountains” with it. Time to get out our gardening gloves!

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.  2 Timothy 1:5 (ESV)

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Matthew 17:20 (NLT)