The end of January is quickly approaching. We have one month to simplify as much as possible before our closing date. This stage has been the toughest, by far. Not because we are sad to see so much of our “stuff” go, but because THERE’S SO MUCH OF IT! It’s ridiculous. The saying is true, “the more space you have, the more you accumulate to fill it”. As our minds have shifted, we have learned to appreciate less. Less is becoming so much more. There are things that, at the beginning, I knew I would want to keep no matter what. Some of those things eventually made it’s way into the pile of stuff to get rid of. Purging gets easier as you go, and it’s so FREEING!
Pictured below are the beginning stages of this process…and it’s just the tip of the iceberg!
“Realizing all the stuff in your house used to be money. And all that money used to be time. And all that time used to be energy. And how for years you have been spending all your time, money and energy by making a mess for yourself to clean up.”
Unknown
If freedom is what you desire, what are you willing to let go of in order to get there? Anything that hinders your dreams can become a prison cell. For us, our home, and everything we have in it, was starting to become that. We were “decorating our prison cell” so to speak. Not that we aren’t thankful for our beautiful house and the blessings that have come with it, (and we pray that we’ve been good stewards of all that we have been given) but all of the work, time and energy we’ve been wasting to manage all of our “things” was starting to weigh heavy on our hearts. The things we desire most was being pushed to the back burner because we had to save money for it, or we didn’t have time for it. That is the complete opposite of what living should be! Society is so wrapped up in keeping up with the Joneses, that it’s robbing everyone’s joy. What most people fail to realize is that the Joneses are typically overworked, depressed, self-consumed and BROKE. What the world has brainwashed us into thinking the “American dream” is, is exactly the opposite. It looks good on the outside, but the inside is dying a slow, painful death.
We’ve decided to redefine who the Joneses are. Who are they anyways? They aren’t a real family, but an idiom in the English-speaking world that compares one against their neighbor as a benchmark for social class. If we are going to strive to be like anyone, first it’s Jesus Christ. All that we do should represent the love He has for us so that others can see the hope and freedom found only in Him. Secondly, if we are going to envy anyone, it should be those who have disciplined themselves to look different from the world. Who sees a trend, a style, a fad, etc. and turns the other cheek. Those who can stay the course. Who can live like no one else now, so they can live like no one else later. THAT’S the Joneses we want to strive to be like.
Purging, donating and selling has been constantly going on for a solid month at this point. And there’s still way too much left! I often refer to myself as an organized hoarder. I like to keep and collect, but you’d never know it. I have a talent for organizing things in a way that makes it appear that there isn’t much there. I’m now suffering from years of accumulation, and it’s totally my fault. So what now? We’ve decided that if it doesn’t fit in our 5th wheel or our 7×16 enclosed trailer, it doesn’t come with us! What? This will be interesting! I’m sure as we pack, we will continue to get rid of more things, but my specific prayer for now is that God will give us enough creative juices to figure out where everything will go. I have the most anxiety over our clothes than anything else. As much as we have already gotten rid of, we still have a lot left. I will only put seasonal items in the camper, and store the rest in the trailer to free up space. If we didn’t have children this wouldn’t be much of an issue, but all of you parents out there know that clothes are like gold! Especially when you have more than one child. A special thanks goes to my friend Ali (who has been through this before) for introducing me to Marie Kondo (or the konmari method). Look her up if you want to get organized!
Things I have done using the konmari method and a few of my own:
- Purging anything that we don’t need, can buy later on, or doesn’t spark joy.
- Donating/selling clothes that we have not worn in a year or two, with the exception of a few dressy items.
- Folding/organizing clothes in a way that creates more space.
- Getting rid of multiple items such as spatulas and mixing bowls, and only keeping one or two (who needs five spatulas?!?).
- Consolidating things such as medicines, pantry items, toiletries and crafts.
- Digitizing pictures instead of keeping photo albums that just collect dust.
- This is the hardest one… Taking a picture of (certain) sentimental items instead of keeping the actual thing.
- Creatively making room for everything the boys want to take. We would never make them go without the things they love to see this journey through. (We have even made room in the camper for their toy box!)
- Finding room to store items that speak to our heart. There are undoubtedly going to be things that we just can’t un-attach ourselves from, such as the boys’ memory boxes and baby items.
Pray with us and for us that we stay disciplined to get the task done, and have energy to do it in just under four weeks! Also, pray that anxiety and frustration doesn’t get the best of us. Stay tuned!
“If it doesn’t serve you (physically, mentally or emotionally) it’s time to let it go.”
Jillian Benfield
because…
“at the end of your life you will not wish you had more things.”
Faith & Freedom Lifestyle 
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