The Right Stuff

Ephesians 5:20: “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (KJV)
     In my prayer this morning I focused on how thankful I am to have ‘stuff’. To have things that I can call my own and that I have free liberty to use and do with as I please. It might seem strange for me to give special recognition to the tangibility of ‘stuff’ but I am grateful for all that God provides– life, health and yes…’stuff’.
      As spring rolls in many of us have our family traditions of ‘spring cleaning’; where we wash, refresh and pack away the heavy comforters, blankets, sweaters and coats and pull out the lighter ‘stuff’. We get rid of old stuff and make way for new fashions and new gadgets.
     If you never really took inventory of what you have – it will amaze you when you have to pack it up. I am not a bone fide pack rat, but I do like having the convenience of ‘stuff’. I have a gadget for most chores and a tool for most jobs. Why borrow when I can have my own?. I believe in waste not, want not; so therefore I do recycle and reuse and save for a rainy day. And if anyone knows about Georgia…there is ALWAYS a rainy day. My saving grace is that I have a touch of OCD so therefore I am extremely organized and very neat (Praise God); so chances are if you need something not only do I have it (in assorted, shapes, sizes and colors), but I can usually put my hands right on it.
      Although it was a pain in the neck (and back) to pack up some of my things; and difficult to part with many of my things; in the long run I was able to realize how blessed I am to be afforded the luxury of ‘stuff’. To give away many pairs of shoes makes one realize that there are many who do not have a change of footwear. To dispense of furniture and furnishings makes one think about those whose whole existence can be crammed into a backpack or pushed along the street in a shopping cart. Who has time to worry about matching china when you eat most of your meals out of ‘to-go’ containers from soup lines? One of the things that we forget when we complain about our ‘stuff’ is that there are many who wish they had stuff. Don’t let foreclosure or eviction or a house fire be the cause to shake you up to think about how thankful you are for your ‘stuff’. Look around at the stuff you have accumulated and give praise. Don’t’ complain about it…if it is too much, then give it to someone and share your blessing. If you are junky and your stuff is in your own way, then clean up, but don’t complain for there are millions out there who wish they had ‘stuff’ and a place to put it. I am thankful to have both; a bit downsized, but still gifts from God.
     Every day is a good day, it is up to us to make it a GREAT day! Enjoy the weekend of checking out your ‘stuff’ – see you on Monday! Be blessed! Rev. Dr. JoAnn