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Thoughts about Stuff

Yesterday I had to run to rental property to check on a bathroom shower rip-out project. Julia, home from school came along for the ride. It has been about five years since Julia has returned to the home of her birth. The renters, some of the nicest people on the planet, have made it their home now. It was sobering for Julia due to the fact that our old house is now full of wall-to-wall stuff. The basement, where the project was taking place housed many items. The garage was very full with a makeshift four-wheeler repair shop set up. The front drive housed four cars--not one in the garage. Julia was shocked. "Mom, I don't even recognize our house!". 

On the way home we talked about the differences. Now mind you, I love our renters and I am not judging them. They are doing the very best they can and I am grateful that they have been such reliable and kind renters over the years. Someday they will move, and take all of their stuff, and I will repaint and replace all of the flooring and the home will look as good as new. But in the meantime, it has a very different look and feel from our old home. And I think this is what Julia was noticing.

So here are a few observations:

Stuff makes your house look a lot smaller.

Stuff in your house reflects how you think. Cluttered house = cluttered life.

Stuff left out tends to grow if not attended to quickly.

Stuff can suck the life out of you. Stuff generates feeling of claustrophobia.

Stuff is just stuff in the end. All of our precious stuff is just memories attached to a inanimate object. Keep the memories, ditch the object.

Stuff can act like barnacles on a boat and drag us. It down costs money to purchase, maintain, and store.

I feel the Spirit when I am in moderately organized surroundings.  I struggle feeling the Spirit in chaos.


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