Packing Reflections

As Carolyn and I are busy packing our apartment, it is mind-boggling to think that a few months ago we had absolutely no idea where we would be living with our lease ending in May.  Now, here we are giving away everything that we do not need and condensing our lives to a few suitcases and storage bins.

If you have never condensed your earthly possessions to a few suitcases and storage bins I recommend against it.  In our previous moves we always had the option of packing one more box if we were unsure if we should keep something.  Worse case scenario we make a few more trips to the truck on either end of the move.  This time is different though, because we face the reality that we only have two suitcases and a carry on to take with us.  And we will not have access to that which we place in our storage bin on a regular basis – maybe once a year if we are lucky.


As I sit looking at some of my collections and projects I cannot help but laugh at some of them.  For example, I found a small box full of fired shotgun shells.  I had saved them just in case I decided one day that I would like to start reloading them.  Thankfully it was pretty easy to decide to throw those away.  Not all decisions were so easy though, what about the deer skinning knife that two of my best friends from college got for me?

Particularly as I was looking at all the empty brass shell casings that I had collected over the last 5 years, many of which I actually do reload, I couldn’t help but thing about the fleeting value of material objects in life.  In the 6th chapter of Matthew, we are blessed with guiding words regarding earthly treasure verses heavenly treasure.  When I view this in the light of the 4th chapter of James I am reassured the while I do not know what tomorrow hold, I know that my Lord and my God does already has my tomorrow figured out for me.  He knows where He is sending me and He has perfect time for when He will get me there.  He also knows what material objects I will need to complete the mission He has for me, and what I do not need.

As Carolyn and I continue to pack over the next month, and as we prepare to move in with our host family, we continue to rely on the discernment given to us through the Holy Spirit.  We firmly believe that He has all of our needs met and we praise Him in advance for meeting those needs.  We ask Him to give us the strength and time to sort through our belongings that He has blessed us with, trusting that even though this task in daunting, He will provide for us.  Will you pray with us as we move this next month, as we decide what to give away and what is worth keeping, and ultimately that we learn to trust Him more?