My favorite things to collect are random things I love that someone else no longer wanted like the trivet made entirely out of tiny shells I purchased at a yard sale for $.05, or the set of white tapers with songbirds on them I purchased at ANOTHER yard sale for $.50.
However, I am slowly learning to throw things away–to leave room in my life for these treasures to enter in; learning to love the natural ebb and flow of want and plenty, undergirded by a faithfulness that is always enough.
I come by my frugal nature, and its propensity towards collecting and saving things, naturally. My grandmother (who had an entire room full of Mason jars) once reached into a kitchen drawer and sent me back to college with enough rubberbands to last me well into my thirties (Oh, how I treasured my hand-me-down rubber band collection.) My father once filled one of two junked station wagons in our driveway with egg cartons (in case we needed them for a project).
There must certainly be a genetic component to this as my daughter is loathe to throw away any bead, trinket, jewel, or treasure–the smaller the better. I am tempted to sneak them out of the house when she’s not around (especially the broken ones), but I know I owe it to her to teach her how to let go of these things, how not to hold on so tightly, how to make room for more good things to enter her life.
And I fear she has gotten a double dose of whatever this mysterious collecting urge is because her father is always adopting these stray bits of other peoples’ lives as well–sure he’ll incorporate them into a sculpture someday, transform them into something beautiful. It is generational; he tells stories of his father, whom I never met, whose greatest desire was to own land and a barn to fill with his manly tools and treasures.
Together, my little family will learn to embrace and respect our heritage, which includes our earthly desires to store up our treasures, as well as our spiritual heritage, which bestows on us the freedom to choose to make room for more of what God has in store for us.
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:19
Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! ~Luke 12:27-28
This post was written for Scribbit’s August Write-Away Contest.
Thanks for entering–you left this link in my post comments so I’m assuming you’d like me to include it? It’s great to have you joining in!
AW! I loved this… beautiful post and beautiful people.
Beautifully done.
I, too, am working my way through this save it/let it go thing. Must be the beloved grandparents from the Depression era having their hold on us
And I’m totally jealous about the shell trivet for a nickel!
So sweet.
Thanks for pointing me here from your “best of”