It only took a couple episodes of “Hoarders” on TV to make me start cleaning and then pitching things I don’t need – increasing donations of good things I don’t need. I didn’t mean to get sucked into the stories, I finished the netflix series I was watching and they do that “suggested for you” autoplay thing. I mean if I was watching the bakeoff show I started craving sweets – and they show a hoarders show and I start going ‘ut oh”, the opposite. Wow, how to both learn from these folks and their sad mental illness (these are extreme extreme folks being shown, most of us are OK) and how to study what went wrong. They say 90% of hoarders continue in their hoarding even after getting help.

In the episodes so far, as I try NOT to watch any more, they have much grief and strife that is unresolved. Yes there is TV drama editing, but the show does also show a progress of each person agreeing to get rid of more and more – especially since these cases show LOTS of family support and usually a government order to fix up their house or get their land taken away – racking up fees every day… It surprises me that the people are not moved out by their family but like all of us, we simply live day to day with our circumstances, no fairy Godmothers exist – not even on TV. This show seems opposite of ‘Extreme Homemakeover’ where those folks could never afford the new increased taxes or upkeep on their new mansions – that was a hit and run of fortune but way too much…  ANYWAY… Why doesn’t anyone have a “downsizing’ show… They need a “peace-giving show” – not necessarily a “see others are doing it so I am OK show.”

Like I said these hoarder folks are extreme and we are told that they are funded with aftercare counseling and continued organizational services – they mostly (in the half-dozen episodes I watched) suffered from not letting go of the grief of a loved one and the items they said they couldn’t get rid of because it meant losing that person too. One episode the person shopped and shopped and the excess got moldy and not useful anyway. One woman thought “someone could use that’ but then her closet had hidden mouse droppings that freaked her out…  In other words – you can’t take it with you AND the people here on earth shouldn’t try to save it either.

I have a decently big enough house for me and 2 kids – and that cat who knows every square inch and still wants to go outside – me too, I want to go outside and have the house as a place to come home to. Yes there are creature comforts and spaces, decorations and memories, safety and stability – those are all GOOD THINGS – but after watching the show I was reminded to just clean a little bit more so that I can enjoy even more by less “distractions” of “I need this”. GIve away those “I want to give this to X, Y, Z”. I cleaned out some trash, pared down my rag pile by using and tossing them, tossed 3 extra soap pumps for my shampoos (just in case the current one broke which it never has), and always try to do the sugar dump at work – giving them the half eaten bags of crap that I don’t need – especially from that overflow that came back after college semesters. SHED SHED SHED.  I pulled together the overflowing paperwork into bags that will be going to be shred – I missed all the spring shred ones and maybe now it is time to purchase the home shredder – but these free services twice a year are so convenient. SHRED SHRED SHRED.

OH – came to my side dresser and that pile of “I will do it later” – OH – Jesus, my Jesus doll, was buried up to His Head. (It is a short doll, don’t worry – easy to clean). Jesus is the One who says “do it now” – “don’t worry about later” – “don’t store up your treasures on earth” – “God’s got this”…   OK Jesus – I can unbury you by unburying myself in what I can get rid of – YES – I can unburden myself too –  I can get rid of lots of worry, grief, false hopes, and simple stuff too. Yes, Jesus, You can help me clean and come clean. You can ALSO make me praise that I do have stuff to share and then just share it and don’t look back – let it go – go to You and go to others. GIve back by giving up the praise to give away…  Pare down by pruning down…  Start in one corner of my life and keep going.

It is wisdom that we live by – wisdom to let things go and wisdom to be resourceful…  As for me today? I only watch TV at night just half an hour, and I did my cleaning and so now I am going to get myself to the BEACH for more bible reading and peace… That is wisdom of giving myself some place to sit in peace…

Ah that is what Jesus wants to give us EVERYDAY!

Amen

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Two Kinds of Wisdom – James 3:13-18

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.