11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the powerEverything under heaven belongs to God. All my stuff belongs to God. (Is that why I have such a hard time getting rid of anything? :-p ) The things that I can do are gifts from God. The salvation that I have received is a gift from God. All these things have been given to me that I might share them and use them to share the Gospel with others. More on that tomorrow.
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
12 Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.
14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15 We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 18 Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.
I have so much stuff. Moving shocked me with how much stuff I have. Books, photos, clothes, memories, sewing items, cooking utensils, etc, filled box after box. There is a part of me that says, “I could get rid of so much and live a simpler and more efficient life. Bring the trashcan in and learn to let go.” And there is a virtue in the simple, uncluttered life. But there is also a part of me that says, “Can I use this to share the gospel with others?” It makes my life and house a little more cluttered, but I don’t think that there is a vice in that. My books encourage me, fill my head with stories, remind me of who I am and who I want to be, and I am thankful for them. My photos show me the beauty of the world, of relationships, and of my history, and I am thankful for them. My clothes cover me, keep me warm, let me feel pretty, and remind me of my personal weight loss goals, and I am thankful for them. My memories are filled with bits of truth I have gathered from wiser people, that I someday want to share with other people, and I am thankful for them. My sewing items remind me that I am created in God’s Image and I love to create, to fashion and design things to make life more beautiful or fun, and I am thankful for them. My cooking utensils and appliances help me make fun and exciting foods, using my creativity in everyday ways that both nourish and please my family (usually), and I am thankful for them.
So could I get rid of stuff? Yes, and I am working on going through boxes and counter-tops filled with stuff that I don’t need, but as I do that I am thankful for them and think about ways that I can use these things to bring the Gospel to others.
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