Many years ago I was traveling to Europe for an extended stay. As departure day drew closer a friend of mine gave me a piece of advice saying, 'put everything you think you need on a bed, and then get rid of half of it.' This was my first introduction to thoughtfully considering what you need.
On packing day, I took the advice - everything I thought I needed on a bed. There was a lot - music, books, momentos from home...American food - basically it was my life stateside piled up along with clothes, toiletries, etc... The pile was far beyond the dimensions of any luggage, and a private 747 was not feasible.
What I then discovered has stayed with me - there are layers of want. I want this as a luxury, I want that as a convenience, I want this to be 'in' with others - and when you go through the discipline of getting rid of half what is obvious is that in reality I do not need much. Today, I have much more than I will ever need.
So I divided my stuff in two. Later - once I was in Europe - I happened upon a second truth. Because of discipline earlier, I had space for a few things to bring back to give to friends. Because I had 'done with less' I had the chance to come home with more.
Over the years, I have found God to work in a like manner. When I make space in my life through sacrifice, God has the room in me to give more. God can bless others because there is room in my life for God, and the irony is that being a blessing for someone else gives me more joy than anything that I could pack my life with. Go figure...
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2 comments:
cool blog!
I am a Dave Ramsey fan which means I live within my means. Unlike the majority of this area. I see so many people trying to find happiness in stuff. I bet if you could get every household to take one room and remove half of it...they may find that they have more room. They may find that they can find happiness in the little things instead of just stuff! When you get rid of stuff, you have room for love, peace, happiness, friendship.....
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