Wanna' be first? Get rid of your stuff!

After Andrew & Avery’s home school with Krista (Avery’s mom), I take all the kids out for a walk. The other day, Chris came too and the kids wanted to race. Melanie was ahead (Yah hoo! Go Melanie!), Andrew close behind, followed by me and Chris walking, and Avery (the fastest runner) way in the back. She kept calling for me to carry her many leaves, sticks, flowers, and so forth, so she could run. Shaking my head after every plea, I kept saying, “If you want to be the fastest, Avery, you’ve got to get rid of your stuff!” She finally learned she wasn’t going to get her way, let go of some of it, and ran toward us. A little later, all three of the kids had collected a large assortment of bugs, leaves, flowers, and sticks. Once again, they wanted to race and, again, pleaded with us to carry their treasures. Nope. I said, “Remember, stuff holds ya’ back! If you want to be first, you gotta’ get rid of your stuff!” The first to do so won the race.

Chris and I chuckled that this was a good message for our country. You wanna’ be first? Get rid of your stuff! :->

The principle works both spiritually and practically. We talked about its application to Katrina. The media consistently repeats the same message: “those who lost the most were the ones who had the least to begin with.” It is true that the people we’re working with – still living in FEMA trailers – fit the bill as those who had the least already. But really, the people who lost the most were those who started with LOTS of stuff that they had not yet paid for. Now they’re trying to regain their former lifestyle by filing for bankruptcy. The local paper told the story of one lady who put $35,000 on her credit card to furnish her new home after losing hers to Katrina. Stuff holds us back. Letting go of it is so freeing! :->

This is one way that Katrina was cleansing to many. We meet many people who lost everything, but they repeat the same message: by losing everything, they've discovered what’s truly important.