Treasure

Last night I had 29 boxes in my living room, and if you've seen how small my living room is, you realize there wasn't much room for anything else. When the three big kids came home from Grammy and Grandpa's I had to fight them off to keep them from unpacking those 29 boxes...I was only moderately successful.

Next weekend is our big Moving Sale where everything but the kitchen sink will be for sale. It's hard to look at everything in your home and decide what value it has. Is it important enough to pack in a box to go to Mexico? Will I or anyone in my family need it or want it in Virginia? Will anyone else value it enough to buy it at a garage sale? Is it worth our time to sell it on Craigslist? Should I put it in storage indefinitely? Will I still want it 20 years from now?

Our children are taking it well so far. We've been trying to prepare them for the last 5 months or so. They know that most of their toys will be sold, and only a few of their favorites will go with us. After packing up most of their clothes, Ryan prayed, "Jesus, please let us have enough clothes and toys to get to Mexico." And of course we've had a few behavioral issues that I attribute to the rollercoaster ride of emotions, especially with Ryan who knows that we're moving, but still doesn't understand what that really means.

Through this stage of the process, I'm reminded, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." (Matt. 6:19-20) Easier said than done...we tend to place a lot of value on our stuff. I think everyone should make a major move and truly evaluate the stuff they have collected over the years. Where are you storing your treasure?