We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands.
We are downsizing - selling our home of over two decades and disposing of the boundless treasure hidden in attic and closet and cabinet. It's my latest baby boomer rite of passage. I'm self-diagnosed with nostalgic materialism. The cure is painful: throw it overboard! Seriously, there is a self-emptying aspect to this, a letting go, a dialing back of the ego. I am confident the empty spaces will be filled by and with Jesus!
Lord Christ,
I am what I have.
Henri Nouwen warned against that.
And that's not me.
I'm a prudent saver. I'm a serious collector.
Well...my stuff does bring comfort.
OK, I am a hoarder!
And eBay reveals little value.
I'm off to the thrift store with another load.
Lord, this house and my stuff have been a blessing - in their season.
Now it's an anchor. A new voyage looms. Anchors aweigh!!!
Like St. Paul, we will cast some cargo into the sea for our own well being. Traveling lightly. To weather the storms of our senior years.
To better enjoy the days of calm and fair winds. Amen.
Artwork credit: Jane Remsen Thompson Schultz. Early 1900s. Distressed family heirloom revived with a Prisma photo editor filter.