1000 Fields of Roses

I’ve been reading a book (links below). It’s got a lot in it to think about, and I’ve been trying to take the time to mull over it, rather than galloping through it….

Radical  – David Platt – links to three sites (the book, the Radical Experiment, and the next book – Radical Together)

Radical – YouTube clip

The subtitle is “Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream”… but there’s a lot to relate to for us Aussies….
It’s a look at how we “do church”….how we live out our faith…. do we listen to what Jesus actually said for us to do, believe it and obey….. or do we twist His words into what we want to hear Him say? I know I’ve had to change and grow over the years… we all have cultural and personal biases, often ones we don’t know we have.  Have we made the body of Christ into just another Big Business, with shareholders, and bonuses for the faithful investors…?

I’m hoping I’m not sounding too cynical here 😀 These are things I’ve been grappling with, off and on, for a bit..
What it comes down to, in the end, is where do I stand? Still thinking through to the conclusion to that one…

In the meantime… the point of this post….
One of the immediate topics, to me, is the abundance of “stuff” in my life. The radical life – giving everything up for Jesus, living simply so that others may live – is attractive to me. But – I accumulate so much… stuff!…. Am I willing to give it all up, if He asks me to? If not, why not?

(It’s taken me ages to attempt this post – I haven’t been able to find the perfect words, so I just haven’t done it. Please forgive me if I ramble… or ask me what I’m on about! 😀 )

Back to topic…
Last year, we were having financial difficulties. It looked like we might have to lose the house and move. We were packed and ready(ish), when God stepped in. He had already been talking to me about simplifying, and reducing possessions. I’ve always been a bit of a hoarder.(Hubby is nodding emphatically at this point) I had to sort through, and get rid of, a lot of “things”. I still have a lot of “things”, but substantially less than last year.

Let me pause here, and say that I don’t particularly think that having “stuff” is wrong. The issue, with me, is why I have it.

So… I had to think through why I held on to stuff so tightly. The obvious answer is – that I was afraid. I was afraid of being without. I was afraid (even though I have, in my lifetime, had ample proof to the contrary ) that maybe God wouldn’t be there to catch me this time… (that was not a conscious thought then, and I don’t really like owning up to it even now….) Basically, I was giving “stuff” power over me.

We got through that crisis last year, and God has taught us many things. We’re still learning many things….
We’re now in a similar situation, except we’ve learnt to be still, and trust. That’s a good thing… but I’m still working through the “stuff” issue. It’s not a case of getting legalistic over it, and tossing stuff out just because we don’t absolutely need it. It’s about being clear in myself as to where I place my priorities.

I went round the house today, checking out the “stuff” 😀 I find that I mostly have momento type things now – bits of paper – old letters, birthday cards, travel momentos. I need to go through them to see what I can whittle down (Anyone have any ideas about what to do with the paper mountain? Apart from scrapbooking….)

Some of these boxes have useful things in them.. I’m pretty sure that at least two of them are filled to the brim with paper stuff…. just a sample, here, of the bits and pieces boxes.

This is completely full of photos… I sometimes think of doing something (anything!) with them, but it’s a bit discouraging just opening the lid.

PAPER!!!! EVERYWHERE!!! Does everyone have a corner of the house like this? And (confession time) this was tidied up not too long ago… Weren’t computers supposed to usher in a paperless society?

Here’s something I would find it hard to do without 😀 I think of books as necessities, though! I do periodically go through my books, and give away any that we don’t need anymore. These two are our main bookcases. The rest of the house has smaller bookcases – two in our bedroom, one each in the boys’ rooms, and two (and a halfish) downstairs. Because of the cull last year, they are not all full at the moment. I’m sure they will be at some point.

I hope this has all made some kind of sense. I so want to be clear and concise… it just doesn’t appear to be one of my gifts… I’ve probably strayed from the premise of the book, but that’s where I’ve been lately.
Ultimately, I want to be available to go where God would send me. I don’t want to be held back by chains that I don’t even know are there. These are just some I’ve been identifying over the last eighteen months or so…
Really, “stuff” just gives empty promises, especially when you consider the alternative! 😀

Just to finish off…
Firstly – please comment -I would love to know what you think.
Secondly – this was my last photo of the day – trinkets, so not “essential” – but I like them…

My angel heart mirror 😀