ART & INSPIRATION BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER

Garage Sale signs are popping up all over the place. Some folks use this time of year to declutter and get rid of things so they can go to some of those sales and pick up more clutter to reclutter their homes. In the past eight years, we have gone through the resizing of our living space before we moved to a different home. We’ve since had to reorganize our upstairs because we didn’t use it anymore. It became a storage locker for some of our belongings. After Paul’s death, my children reopened the upstairs for my grandson to move in. Rearranging – reopening – reorganizing – resizing – restoring – etc, etc, etc. Life goes on and we seem to do the same things over and over.

Much like our own lives, we are always in a state of change, no matter what age we are. There are things that need to be tossed because they are no longer useful. Things that we haven’t worn for years now become part of a donation bin. Stuff that has value only to us is the hardest to let go, but there comes a point where we must.

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:37-38 ESV

We will undoubtedly be getting rid of more stuff as the days go forward. Our hope is not reliant on things of this world. Jesus was not of this world. Taking on human flesh, He experienced all the concerns we have each day, but He never gave way to sin. He alone is our only hope for salvation. In Christ alone!