Our home is full of things acquired over decades. Days I once spent shopping I now spend hauling loads to various consignment and thrift stores. This process of letting go made me think about the wisdom of Scripture. I don’t want my possessions to possess me, so I’ve had to lose some things I still cherish. At first, letting go of what I’ve treasured feels like a loss, not a gain. Seeing the gain takes time and spiritual eyes rather than physical ones.
The waste-not-want-not philosophy my family instilled in me makes it virtually impossible to throw away perfectly good items. Letting go became easier when I saw how God turned my loss into a blessing for someone else. One downsizing day I found a new home for the box of fabric pieces stored under the bed. I offered the fabric scraps as quilting supplies on an online marketplace. The husband who claimed them said they would be a surprise for his wife. Although multiple sclerosis limits what she can do, she can still sew, he said. My loss became a sign of his devotion to her.
This message is excerpted from “Letting go” by Kathryn Haueisen in the July/August 2020 Gather magazine.
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