Storing Treasures...

I must say that one of the main things I spend my time doing after taking care of the kids is finding a place to store all of the things that we have. We have more stuff than is reasonable, really. I am glad that it is almost time for the consignment sales to come around, so maybe I can get rid of some more stuff. This is after I have cleaned out and cleaned out! I was doing our taxes and we had 7 receipts for donations we made to charities last year alone and we participated in a yard sale, so to say we have too much stuff is simply an understatement.

When Daniel and I got married, each one of us had a lot of junk. We still have some junk from the past, but most of it has now been sorted and kept, given away, or thrown in the trash. Now, the overabundance is really children's items - like toys and clothes.

The main thing is the toys. I miss the simplicity we had before children came along with a bunch of baby supplies and toys. Every few months I have to store some new clothes in the attic, just in case we have a new baby. And at first, when there was just one, we did not have a lot of toys, but now we have an abundance, one set for a girl, and one set for a boy. Cars and balls for Pea, babies and dressup items for Princess. Ugh!

I think we have so many toys that the only thing Pea is able to do with them is dump them out into big piles, move to the next storage area, dump it out, and so on and so on. This is not my idea of fun. When there was less toys, I could focus on playing with one with Princess (before Pea was here) and teach her very detailed information. Now I am left to clean up behind the whirlwind that is Pea, and I don't feel like I get to enjoy playing or teaching as much as I want, so all these toys feel like a hindrance.

Sometimes, when I think about it, I think the solution would be to move into a bigger home. Afterall, we would like to have more children. However, we are to be good stewards of the things God has given us, and everything we own is on loan from God. We are abundantly blessed and were able to pay off our home last year. I don't think it would really be very wise to go from having no debt to quickly gaining another mortgage, even though the housing prices are down and we could perhaps get a good deal. We've been given a great gift in owning this home, so I know that a bigger house would not be the solution. Besides, I can barely clean the one I've got, not to imagine cleaning a bigger one!

We are studying the Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn at church, so today as I was working on the children's rooms and storing their items, I thought about this verses from Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." I am very doubtful that there are as many treasures stored up for me in heaven as I store up here on earth. I spend so much time storing treasures that I wonder if I am storing up the right treatures, the treasures that matter. Investing in a kingdom that is unseen must be deliberate and decisive in a world that is run by excess and distractive opportunities. We tithe, but I dare say we are not deliberate enough in our service to others. Honestly, I think those who are willing to sell off this earthly junk and move into an unknown land to serve Him have the right idea. Like my friend, Jess, or my blogger bud, Shirley.

How can you be more deliberate about storing up heavenly treasures?