It’s amazing the amount of things we accumulate in a lifetime. Right now all that stuff is looking at me and daring me to throw it out. We’ll start slowly to weed through the mounds of trash. There are some things that don’t hold any value, except to us because they contain a special memory or two.

There are boxes that have remained unpacked since we moved in 22 years ago, clothing that we’ll never fit into again and of course crates full of costumes, props, flats, art supplies and so on.

Our lives are like that really. We build up treasures here on earth and soon our homes look like they belong on a hoarders reality show. None of that will benefit us once we die. The saying, “You can’t take it with you,” was most likely a quote from someone who needed to downsize.

I certainly don’t want to see my kids have to sort through it when we’re gone. We have had to do that a few times when family members passed away. It’s not easy for them to see any value in the things we may have treasured.

My sister has moved more times in her life so she has some good advice that I’m going to put into action. She suggested taking one room at a time so as not to be overwhelmed. Also look at everything and determine if you will ever use them again.

Throw out, donate to a thrift store, give some of the good stuff to your kids if they want it, have a garage sale and when you have whittled the mounds to little piles – do it again.

When Jesus entered the world as a man He had nothing. His adult life was spent on the road teaching, encouraging, sharing what He had with others, physically and spiritually taking care of them. When He died a torturous death for us, He was stripped of all dignity. When He faced Satan and destroyed his hold on us, he hands had nothing in them, but the scars He endured as spikes were hammered into them.

Lord, as I evaluate your life and death and resurrection, help me to focus only on you and your priceless treasure – the one that waits for me in heaven. You paid an unimaginable price so that I could share in that bounty. It’s really the only thing that matters.