Yesterday a friend said something very profound. She said they had finally cancelled their home telephone service– giving up life as they had known it. What a life changing thought.
Because of her casual comment, I have metaphorically dumped all of the contents of my life onto a table for the Lord to pick and choose what stays, what goes. Is all of this stuff really necessary?
Many of us perform this operation every January 1 in the name of New’s Year Resolutions, which I favor. Self-evaluation is healthy. Everyone should stop and examine what they are doing and why they are doing it—unless, of course, you want to stay the same person doing the same things you have done since you graduated from high school or college.
I would like to believe that all of us want to grow and change from year to year, but maybe that assumption is wrong. Maybe there is a percent of the world that is happy with themself and feel content to “keep on keepin’ on.” If that is you, stop reading. We have nothing in common and none of this will make any sense to you.
Perhaps it is because of my age that giving up life as I have known it sounds profound to me. Who knows why? But it is time.
Should I stay in my house or move?
Quit my job to look for another one?
Same Church?
Same husband—easy answer, yes. Not only is he a keeper but it is Biblical!
Same Bible study?
What about how I order each day:
Exercise more? Certainly not less.
Change how often I eat out? Cook more? Cook less, or just in general think about food less
Take up a new ministry such as feeding the hungry in downtown Dallas?
Cancel the Wall Street Journal? Cancel Southern Living magazine? Which of these items reflect who I am today? More importantly, which of these items reflect who I want to be in 20 years?
Just like in the bottom of my purse, there are some sticky, nasty things that need to go from my life.
When I graduated from college, I moved away which forced me to change my habits and patterns of living. Therefore I changed—a lot. After all, I hadn’t been earning income before then!
I think I am facing an equally profound life change today as I come home every night to an empty nest. I can’t financially retire yet but I can begin to build a life that is sustainable until death. One less centered around my children, and more centered around God’s voice.
Who knows what tomorrow looks like for me? Only the Lord. He can tell me what is safe to jettison.
In this new phase, I no longer need to listen for baby’s cries in the night nor teenagers returning home late to a dark house. Tune my heart to listen for You Lord with the same careful attention, straining to hear Your voice through the fog of life.
Lord, please show me what I should keep. All of these possessions will burn up in the end times anyway. Why not give them away to someone who can use them now.
Besides, think how much lighter I can be when walking around here on earth without possessions and magazines and ill-suited organizations calling for my finite, precious minutes.
As the song says, you can’t run holding suitcases, it’s a new day so put away all your shame….