Moving to a new place can be exciting and usually when we move, it is all for the better. It will mean either a bigger place or a smaller more manageable one, a new neighbourhood, possibly new friends, and even a new way of life. What could be wrong with that? But, if you have ever moved, you will know the stress involved in such an undertaking. Although I pride myself in being pretty organized, some days I can’t even find the most elementary of things, like my glasses or my house keys. So the thought of packing every single thing I own, moving it to a different place, and then unpacking it and try to find a place for everything gives me enough reason to never want to move! Moving is exhausting. But sometimes it can’t be helped.
For me, gone are the carefree days of packing a big suitcase and a couple of bags and tossing them into the back seat of a small car. Because I do so many different things, in addition to my regular furniture, appliances, clothes, etc., now I would need moving vans. Even so, judging by the many big houses (and over-crowded smaller ones) I’ve seen, I know I’m not the only one. Many of us accumulate a lot of things over the course of time, and if we don’t regularly get rid of them, if we ever have to move we’ll have to do it all at that time. This will add stress upon stress to the move. And good luck trying to find people help you sort through your stuff. Even your kids won’t want to pitch in, and if they do, they might start getting rid of things you still want to keep (but maybe that’s a good thing).
It is wise to go through your things on a regular basis so that things don’t get out of hand when or if you do have to move. It may take some time each time, but by the time you move, you will have saved yourself a lot of unnecessary grief. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, when you’re going through your things, tackle only one project at a time, even down to doing one drawer at a time. A few years ago, I went through all my things at our cottage where we once lived full time. I felt so overwhelmed about making so many decisions that I prayed about each thing in question. I had a bag for garbage and a bag for give-away. By praying, I felt a peace about what I was getting rid of, and felt an assurance that I would never miss or need any of those items. I may have missed an item or two later on, but truthfully, I never needed it in the first place. By the time I was done, I literally filled an 8 by 10 storage shed with furniture and our things, filling bags and boxes with material, bedding, clothing, books and countless other things that we had no more use for. Most of it was “some day” stuff – “some day” we’ll use this. But that “some day” never came, so we happily got rid of it by donating it to a worthy cause. What a great feeling of relief we experienced after freeing up some extra room both inside and out!
Deciding what to do with things is stressful enough because you don’t always know if you will need that item any more. Have you ever sold an item at a garage sale and then forgot and a few months later started looking for that item? It’s happened to me many times, but still, I do not regret getting rid of anything. I appreciate the extra space more than collecting more and more things. But many items or things just sit or remain stored away. If you have forgotten that you even have it, are you really going to use it again? I’m not talking about valuable things like heirloom jewelry or family history or special keepsakes. I’m talking about nick-knacks, clothing, bedding, books, movies, and even old radios and TVs. Some things are only for a season, like kid’s toys and clothing. We must move on from childhood or other stages in life, and be open to new ventures.
Moving is not just a physical thing. It is an emotional one as well. Many times when we move, we are really moving on and we will not always need the things that served us well in our old place of residence. So the stress that comes with moving is often related to emotional ties related to the good memories we had of living there or being there, as well as to the material things that bring back fond memories. When my in-laws sold their house to move to a condo, it seemed that a lot of memories were still there, and for me, were still very much alive. It was where my husband and I, to their astonishment, announced our engagement to be married, since they thought we were just good friends. It is where we enjoyed many good meals and every winter for a few years, we house-sat while they went away on a winter cruise. Even more difficult was when my parents sold their house and moved to an apartment downtown. Now we would not be able to all stay together as a family because there were too many of us. But still, we were so happy for my parents that now they didn’t have to worry about yard work. They could go next door for coffee without having to start up the car on cold winter mornings. Everything was close by and in walking distance.
Moving costs; and I don’t mean just financial. When you move you have to give up a way of life, but you can’t move on to a better way of life without saying goodbye to the old. Almost every move I ever made was for the better. I wouldn’t likely go back to any of the places I once lived because I like where I am right now. In so many ways, our spiritual life is like that. In order to have a new life, you have to give up the old life. When Jesus called the disciples, they left all to follow Him. Jesus said that if we are to be His disciples we must count the cost:
Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:33 … any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. NIV
When I received Jesus as my Lord and personal Savior, I can honestly say that I would never trade this new life for the old one. Nothing could persuade me to go back for even a second, for that life is one that was not worth saving in comparison to the full, rich and meaningful life I live now because of Jesus and His boundless love for me. I know many other people would say exactly the same thing, and songs have been written about it. Jesus is really the answer for everything in life, whether we are moving to a new location, or have decided we want a better, freer and more meaningful life.
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