And here I sit, in my new house and home, I’ve officially been here my first 24 hours (though most of it has been spent in blissful slumber or watching movies with my family :-) I did find time to check out the library, get ice cream from the local shop, scout out the Target…yup, this place is alright! I’ll only be here for about 2 weeks, then it’s off to Colorado!
Last night I spent the night in my sisters bed, we talked all night and it was good, but I’m ready to go see if I can find my “room” one of these days. My “room” is going to be a room in the basement, if you saw my room in MI, imagine cutting it into fourths, then take one of those fourths and put some tile on the floor and a light switch on the outside and fill it with a scattering of crickets…welcome to my new room! At the moment there is only about a foot and a half by three foot space in the middle, surrounded by all my belongings which fill up the perimeter. So my goal in life over the next few days is to clear that stuff out to the outside and sort through the things I’ll want with me in CO and what I want to leave here.
It’s kind of interesting to see all your belongings piled into one small space. After I saw the room, I asked my mom which of that stuff was mine and which I could take out. “that was all yours.” She informed me. I couldn’t believe that I had that much! I had though I had gone through it all before I left for camp, but apparently I might need to go through it again.
Seeing everything I have reminds me of something that one of the speakers had us do at camp. I think it was JV, but it may have been Varsity, but the speaker had us write down the three most important objects we own. I have so many things that are important to me, but when I have to think of what single three items I would choose to place in the position of “most important” I have a hard time remembering how most of my things hold any significance. In reality, what do I really NEED to survive? What can I not live without? If I had to give everything away, what would I have the hardest time letting go of?
My answers of the three things I chose were, first and foremost, my Bible. Most of the people I asked also said their Bibles, and some people were joking that “of course people will say their Bible!” but it’s 100% true that I could never live without my Bible. My Bible is what I go to in hard times, it’s my letters from God written to me, it reminds me of His love and plan for me. my Bible has all my favorite verses underlined and marked, so in time of need I can find comfort quickly. My Bible reminds me of my identity in Christ, who I am and who He made me to be. there are so many stories I hear of Christians in other countries who cant afford a Bible, and how churches in those countries own a single Bible for their whole body, even a page is enough to bring them comfort and joy. I am so blessed to have my Bible, I couldn’t live without it.
My second item I wrote down as most important to me was my pen pals letters. If you didn’t know, Rachel was one of my best friends, we wrote each other for six years and I saved all her letters. In December 2006 Rachel died of appendicitis. Her letters are precious to me and could never be replaced. I have found so many blessing through the things Rachel taught me.
My third item was my camera. I don’t love my camera for the piece of equipment it is, it’s just a black box. But I love it for the moments it captures. i have an awful memory, and without my camera to capture those moments when I’m happiest, I would forget so many sweet memories! I always find it a blessing to see the smiling faces caught forever on camera.
All that reminded me of the verses Matthew 6:19-21: “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, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
p.s. mom, this doesn’t mean I’m throwing everything out! It just means that I’m thinking bout my priorities. So don’t get your hopes up that I’m gonna purge my belongings! Some of it is useful to have and I’m so thankful that, even though I don’t NEED it, I’m still blessed to have it :-)
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