I finished a book last night titled Simplify. 10 Practical Ways to Declutter Your Soul
In it, Bill Hybels said some really good things. Some have stuck with me, and other things will come and go as I need them, I'm sure. He mentioned about having a life verse - and talked about the below scripture.
I had to chuckle when Bill Hybels mentioned he occasionally gets in a 'de-clutter' mode. He was referring to Ecclesiastes 3 and "A Time for Everything".... more specifically, the "a time to keep and a time to throw away" statement. Here is the section I am referring to.
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
I often get in that mode - not that it does much good - but I get the urge to declutter. If I could find someone to take some things - I'd give it away. I guess that is my problem. I don't want to mess with selling things unless I spent a lot of money on it and don't care if I get rid of it or not (i.e., my treadmill). But other things all anyone has to do is ask if they can have something and I'm sure I would just give it to them. Now my treadmill, make me an offer. :-) Actually, I have thought about getting rid of it as well.....
But anyway - Bill Hybels mentioned he ordered a dumpster to be delivered to his house and he wanted to start getting rid of everything they didn't need. He was tired of clutter and wanted to just 'clean house'. His wife wasn't on the same wavelength with him. His mother had made a quilt which was several years old and not in use - heaven forbid if he tried to get rid of that! I forget what other items he mentioned, but it was quite comical. I wondered how full his huge dumpster got. I don't want to throw things away - I would much rather give to someone who could use it. We've given dishes away, pots and pans, even a TV to others who lost everything in a fire. Didn't even miss the items. I know I have lots of other things that others could use - I just don't know who would want them. Or need them.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. I read through these versus and I wonder what season I could say that I am in now. I can't weep, for if I started, I could not stop. Mourning? Strong possibility. Not from a death of a person, but mourning the loss of love and respect and family. But the next season from that is one of dancing. I haven't gotten there yet. Right now I try to stay in the silent time. I see things, I read things, I hear things - and I want to respond, but the hurt is so great I can't. I have to choose to step back; quit reading things. I read something on facebook the other night that hurt deeply. I have chosen to not get on facebook for awhile. I can't handle the hurt anymore. I'm so disappointed in people. So until my heart can mend from the tears, I choose to step back.
My current 'life verse' is one that I cling to. I have several verses I read over and over - in fact, I have two specifically.
Psalm 143:6 - I spread out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like parched land.
Psalm 32:8 - I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
I crave instruction from the Lord; it is He to Whom I constantly run. This morning on my way in to work the words "I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord" kept going through my mind. He alone is my help. He alone is my comfort. In Him alone.
What's your life verse? What season are you in? Is it one of planting? of embracing? of mourning? There is another season coming - don't give up. The Lord is with you even when things look like they are against you because God is looking at where He is taking you, not where you are. Trust Him.
Blessings!
5 comments:
Hmm. Amazing how social media (ie. Facebook) can make other people share things. Things that maybe we would not be willing to throw out to the general public, but others, it is almost like a "need" to them. Grandma Smith a few years ago, did the same thing, stepping away from the Facebook entity. She was getting more information than she wanted to know from certain family members. Heh, for once, I wasn't a problem.
So, buck up! Mourning for "...but mourning the loss of love and respect and family." C'mon, Mom! Love those that need it, and move on. Don't sweat the small stuff.
Easy to say, hard to do. I liked reading facebook for it kept me up somewhat on what some of the family was doing. But, comments made hurt too much sometimes. I am finding that although earlier I wanted to read it a couple times, I don't miss it - and I have gained more time to read books - which is much better! :-)
Reading books is ALWAYS better than reading Facebook. I speak from experience!
Yeah, I've managed to read a couple small books this past week. Enjoy it much more!
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