807 Pounds

  Boxes.  Boxes and then more boxes.  Packing, weighing, writing with a sharpie, taping, recording the weight and the boxes contents, then setting that box aside and moving on to the next one.  That is what I did today.  I went through all of our boxes that hold all of our personal belongings in them.  I removed more items that we dont really need so we can hopefully sell them this weekend in our yard sale.  After I finished that task I added up the weight...807 lbs.  807 pounds of clothing, and household items.

   At first I was kind of taken aback at that number.  I expected it to be much less than that!  I got rid of 4 boxes of stuff, most of which was the heavy things like glass cooking wear, and books with lots of clothes and other miscellaneous things to go along with them.  I got to thinking, when we graduate in a year and a half, we are going to have to whittle this down a whole lot more!  I was reminded of a friend of mine who, upon graduating and leaving to begin her deputation, said that all of her families belongings were in their 4 suite cases!  If each one of those suit cases were at their max capacity , they are looking at around 200 lbs of stuff.  We have a ways to go before then I guess!

  Thinking about being that mobile, or really have the bare minimum for the sake of being able to travel, seems like it would be both freeing & yet at the same time very uncomfortable!  We are coming from a culture that has the mentality of 'he who has the most of the nicest things in the ends wins', and choosing to pursue this life of cross-cultural ministry challenges us to live a life contrary to that.  Being willing and able to give up our 'stuff' time and time again is, at times, uncomfortable but it is more than worth it!  I would rather live a long life with very little means if it makes it possible for me to reach those who live with very little means, including the Bible.  

  My prayer today is that God will help me to look past the 807 pounds of stuff sitting in storage, and see the faces of those who dont yet know Him.  I pray that I will find joy in Him, not in the things that I have, and I pray that whether I have much, or very little I will find my peace and fulfillment in Him!