A Season and a Time

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; Ecclesiastes 3:1,6

Do you find it hard to give things away or declutter? This year, I have been once again motivated to go through out house and get rid of/donate as many unnecessary things as possible. My middle name is 'overwhelmed', and for my mental health I need a minimum of things. But I easily get sucked into bringing too much into the house and our house gets too full. Hopefully I won't fall back into it this time!

It's not always easy to let things go for whatever reason. But it is so worth it when we do.

However, I'm learning that stuff is not the only thing that can pile up and make me overwhelmed. Opportunities, activities, ministries and good things that I want to do can also become 'clutter.' They may all be good things, but too much of anything is overwhelming. God does not expect me to be a super women, juggling a hundred balls.

Just as our stuff can be useful at one time, and clutter later on, so the things we do with our time can also become unnecessary. For example, when I had my first child, I was at home alot, so I looked for a ministry that I could do at home with a baby. That's when I discovered I could do things online, like blogs, writing tracts, etc. I started a teen girl blog. Fast forward 8 years, and life is very different now with four children. I am not home looking for ways to fill my time like I used to be.  I also have a special needs child now, and a lot of activities etc. has come with her. I have a ministry helping my husband with a drop in center, and yet I sometimes feel bad that I am not writing on my teen girls blog anymore! Life has been so full that this is only one example.

But it is very freeing to know that I do not have to do everything that I could do. It is also a little hard, just as it can be hard to get rid of my stuff. I need to work out what are my priorities now, and put my best time and effort into that. It is a season of life, just as the other times in my life were seasons.

Just as I look through my house and get rid of the unnecessary, so I can look through my list of 'activities' and cross out the good but unnecessary things. But... with much prayer! God knows what my priorities should be right now, and I need much wisdom.

Maybe this is not you. Maybe your life is too empty, rather than too full. You can pray for God to provide opportunities for you and remember that this time in your life is a season too.

But if your life is like mine, be encouraged that you don't have to hang onto everything forever. To everything there is a season.