"For where your treasure is there will your heart be also......Matt. 6:21

I am having a Garage Sale on Saturday if the weather permits. I am not fond of Garage Sales. I'm not fond of having them or going to them, so this is going to be a major feat for me.

However, I do love getting rid of junk. I have wandered through my house for the past few weeks in preparation for this sale looking for stuff to get rid of. With each item I have selected, my spirit has lifted. I have found clothes that I've not worn in years, tattered books that I've read and re-read, numerous candle holders of all sizes and shapes,big and little baskets,wall hangings and pictures, silk flower arrangements, etc. They all have two things in common, they take up space and collect dust. By the way, I am allergic to dust.

I once read an article on "Living the Simplified Life". One of the statements in this article which has remained with me was, "we don't own our possessions, they own us". This statement meant that we are the caretakers of everything we possess, so we must spend time and money maintaining it all.

With each item we own we lose a little more freedom to do the things that are lasting and important because of the time required to take care of our stuff. Every weekend I have to set aside time to do the chores that owning stuff requires; doing laundry, dusting, vacuuming, etc. I'd rather be outside "digging in the dirt", walking on the beach, biking, or spending time with family and friends.

Today I read Matthew 6:19-21. This is the passage from the "Sermon on the Mount", where Jesus talks about the kind of "treasure" we should store up. He was quite specific that we should only collect that which did not deteriorate. And he made it clear that the types of things we "stored up" were an indication of "where our hearts were". He encouraged the storing of things which "moths and rust could not destroy and that thieves would not want to steal".

After reading that scripture, I realized that I have a lot more throwing out of stuff, both in the natural and spiritual, that is preventing me from concentrating on the really important things. When maintaining stuff takes up time that I could spend reading my Bible, visiting a prisoner, playing with my granddaughters or sitting quietly before the Lord, it's time to clean house. It's time to rid my "house" of everything, but the things that "moths and rust" can never destroy and "thieves" can't take from me.

I promise that, as I simplify and concentrate on having the right kind of "treasure" in storage, there will always be a chair for you to sit in, only this time I will have time to sit with you, since I won't need to dust so often......Shalom,Bebe