DON'T BOX ME IN!
Moving-ugh, ick, rats, I hate it. I hate the piles of boxes and the mountains of confusion they create. I hate the unsettled, neither here nor there feelings. I hate living out of suitcases. I hate the lack of order and routine. I hate saying goodbye; and I hate the long lists of "getting to know yous" on the other end. Simply put, moving is very similar to a nasty intestinal disorder-it gives one cramps!
Yet, the aftermath of moving is a good thing. It's good to find oneself in another situation-if for no other reason than it knocks the complacent stuffing out of one's socks. At the other end of a move are new experiences, new friends, new opportunities, new challenges and the same, trusted, Lord and Savior. So, the end result of moving is positive and faith building-it's just the first and middle and ending parts that are nasty! Still, ever the eternal optimist, I figure that there must be a few rays of sunshine even among the beginning, middle and the ending bits of a move. So, let me see if I can put a positive spin on the moving debacle.
The part of the moving experience that I enjoy most, if "enjoy" is a word that I can use in conjunction with moving, is what I call the "toss it out" phase. It seems to me that moving must release a chemical into the blood stream that transforms our packrat tendencies into rational thought. All I know is that somehow the phrase, "I better hold onto that just in case it comes in handy some day." is shown for what it really is-an early warning sign of insanity.
Sheila and I threw away a mountain of bits and pieces that we should have never kept in the first place. I guess the nesting bug must have bitten us at some point and we both became retentively delirious during our time in Letete. Actually, if truth be told, perhaps it was a bit of our Scottish heritage that made us waste not, want not and have no room!
Thankfully, moving brings some sanity into our lives and the "stuff" and "things" with which we surround ourselves, are viewed with open eyes. Stuff clutters our lives. It ties us down. Things are a burden and a responsibility and the more stuff we have, the less freedom we have. Everyone, therefore, needs a move in their lives-or at least a good shot of the moving hormone to put "things" in their proper perspective.
Moving, if done right, also helps us bring order to our lives. Notice that I said, "if done right"! Last time we moved from Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick, we didn't have the time, or the need to pack properly so we ended up moving our clutter. This time, the move was large enough and far enough away that we actually had to spend a bit of time sorting through the assorted unsorted heaps and turn them into fewer, smaller, neater sorted piles. (You might want to read that sentence again!) We were able to do that with most things, at home and in my office, except for the mother of all unsorted heaps in our home-the dreaded box o' photos. Just thinking of that box makes me want to physically harm everyone in the Kodak family. Now, that's my idea of a Kodak moment! Still, when we finally move into our new home sometime in July, we will be much more organized and orderly. At least that's my warm fuzzy dream for now.
But, the down side of all this sorting and packing is that for the last few months the clutter just kept getting worse because we were putting things in boxes and trying to get organized and the house was just a maze of bags and boxes. If you've never lived in this kind of atmosphere, let me tell you, it stinks! Clutter breeds uneasiness, confusion, anxiety and frustration. Clutter turned our home, which is supposed to be a refuge of peace, into a deluge of stress. Oh, well, at least that part is over!
At this point in time, everything we own is in storage. All we have are a few clothes and essentials. It's been this way for a few weeks now and it will continue to be this way for a few more until we actually move into our new home. You know what I find interesting about this entire exercise? I'm surprised by how little of our stuff I've missed. Now, admittedly, I will be very happy to get into our new home and have our things back with us, but what I really miss is the routine and order of home, not the things of home. This leads me to believe that all of the 'must have' stuff that we often spend our lives seeking and making payments on, really aren't as "necessary", or "exciting" as we are told they are. Maybe, just maybe we would be happier with less? Maybe, just maybe, it's family and not stuff that makes a house a home? If that's true, we need to refocus our efforts more on building a healthy family rather than a wealthy home.
Let me finish by leaving you with one last flurry of questions-How much emotional and spiritual clutter do you have in your life? How many "to do" lists are pending? How many commitment boxes are you tripping over? When was the last time your life felt calm and organized and orderly? When was the last time you had simple, uncluttered peace? Christians are among the worst offenders of cluttering their lives with too much stuff. We are out and doing all the time, but in all the doing, are we growing in love and joy and peace? Are we growing closer to Christ? Are we growing closer to our family? Are we really being effective in serving the Lord? Perhaps a little less doing and a lot more waiting and praying could help give God the room He needs to really sort our lives out?
If you have any thoughts, or comments, just click on my name at the bottom of this page. I promise to write back to you.
