The Virtues of Minimalism

I doubt anyone who's ever been to my house would describe me as a minimalist.  Ever.  As a matter of fact, the opposite is true.  I seem to be a bit of a, um, an accumulator, shall we say?  Almost zealously an organized string-saver.  And a sentimental one, at that.  Talented, however.  "A functional hoarder," my husband maintains.  I decorate with most of it and justify the rest by organizing it into well-labeled boxes and bins.

But, after our recent move over 700 miles with two full size moving trucks, I'm sure my dear husband wishes I weren't so attached to...things.  And quite so many of them.

In some ways, so do I.

Oh, I'm not ready to part with my great uncle's paintings or my late father's favorite shoes yet.  But now, after experiencing first hand the effort it takes to MOVE one's belongings, I have a much greater appreciation for my husband's utter and nearly complete detachment from...things.  Items.  Stuff.  Belongings.

Baggage.  Literally.

(No, I'm not kidding.  I have two sets of luggage and haven't traveled in years.)

It seems that at no prior time in human history has there been a society wherein its individuals were such colossal collectors of clutter!  And I am one of them.  It's a byproduct of America's staggering general wealth, compared with the rest of the known world.  Just look around.  Look around your own home and see the piles -- literally small heaps huddled about -- of papers, books, clothing, toys, pillows, shoes, etc.

So, perhaps it's time to pare down.  A bit.  But, how does one purge?  Where on earth does one start!?  Especially when faced with numerous colossal heaps like mine?

Well, as a dear friend of mine likes to say, "How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time."

Amidst the overwhelming avalanche of, "Clear Out The Clutter!" advice out there (which, personally, just makes my brain feel even more cluttered), I found a very quick, simple link (Pinterest, baby!) to a list of, "20 Things You Can Get Rid of Without Even Missing."

http://www.ticoandtina.com/20-things-can-get-rid-without-even-missing/#_a5y_p=2579245

The list is simple, divided up by rooms, only two or three sentences per item.  No calendars.  No arduous 40-day schedules.  No household colonoscopy preparations.  No goals to feel guilty about, because you fell short.

And if you're not sure whether or not to purge something, try my personal tactic of putting the item(s) in a black garbage bag in the garage for six months.  Tape a slip of paper on the bag with today's date.  If, in six months, you haven't fetched back or needed the item(s) (or even remember what's in that bag!), then tell yourself it's time to let the contents of that bag bless someone else's life and throw it in the front seat of your car to donate it quickly to your nearest charity or thrift shop.

Believe me, you'll be amazed and thrilled with the fresh air, new space, and light that literally will swirl through your heart and your home when you clear out even just a few things that you truly don't need.

Either that, or your kids are gonna have one helluva yard sale when you're gone.  Don't worry, I won't be there though.  I've already been told I'm grounded.  Forever.

See you at the church thrift shop drop off!

Whose Wealth Is It?

This evening, I enjoyed watching part of the movie, "Anna and the King," based upon the 1944 novel, Anna and the King of Siam, drawn loosely from the diaries of Mrs. Anna Leonowens, an English tutor to the children of the king of Siam (now Thailand).  One of my favorite scenes is the banquet given for the visiting British ambassador.  The sheer opulence, grand scale, and overwhelming beauty of the outdoor candlelit feast are utterly breathtaking!  I marveled at the depth of the wealth and comfort available to the king of Siam and the British upper class.

I thought how vastly distant it was from my own ordinary existence.

Then, I went into my kitchen and, without thinking, turned on my Keurig machine from Massachusetts and in three minutes had a cup of hot tea -- in a cup made in Italy, with tea leaves from India, sugar from Brazil, and cream from Florida, which I stirred with a silver spoon from Sheffield, England and sipped down scalding hot while eating fresh raspberries from California.  All within the comfort and privacy of my own comfortably air-conditioned home.

Hm.

Now, who's wealthy?  Materially, that is.

Often, I'll remind my children that, as Americans, in general, we are fortunate to live a more affluent lifestyle than roughly 93% of the world's population.  Or are we?  Fortunate, that is.  With great wealth comes great responsibility.  "Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more." (Luke 12:48b)

We have more.  Are we giving more?  As a country, I would argue yes.  As an individual, that's entirely up to each of us.

While visiting the United States, Mother Teresa was asked why our country had so few religious vocations.  It was said she paused thoughtfully, then replied, "You have too much."

Mother Teresa went on to say on another occasion,

"The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give.  But the less you have, the more free you are.  Poverty for us [the Missionaries of Charity] is a freedom. It is not mortification, a penance.  It is joyful freedom.  There is no television here, no this, no that. But we are perfectly happy."

I am first in the line of those who need to be less preoccupied with material things and more focused on spiritual things from above.  For while I'm certain God isn't displeased with the security and comfort both my husband and I work hard to provide for our young family, I'm equally certain (and rather embarrassed before Him) that He's not entirely pleased with the low spot on my daily To Do List to which I hastily and frequently relegate "my" time for prayer, adoration, Mass, or just sitting quietly with HIM.

Just as my material blessings are not entirely my own (just ask Job), so too are neither my time nor my spiritual blessings solely my own either.  Remember?  God put us on this Earth, "to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven." 

Whatever we have at our disposal, whether it be material wealth and comfort or spiritual gifts, we are meant to put these things at God's disposal, allowing them to be used as HE sees fit...which may not necessarily be as WE see fit.

Take a few moments this Sunday.  Take a step back.  Look at what you have.  Evaluate how you can make yourself, your soul, your time, your actions, and your blessings be even more of a blessing to those around you.

Start small.

- Pray specifically for someone.
- Stop to pray one extra time today.
- Put another dollar in the collection basket.
- Give your child an extra hug just because you love him.
- Make that casserole you've been meaning to make for your elderly, pregnant, or ill neighbor or friend.
- Donate a few extra belongings to your local thrift shop.
- Finish the dishes, then go laugh in the sprinkler with your younger children, or sit down to laugh and play cards with the older ones.
- Look up who the Saint Of The Day is.  Read for two minutes about that person.
- Pick up the phone and graciously call that relative or friend with whom you've had recent or long-standing difficulty.
- Cut that check you've been mulling over!  Add an extra zero before the decimal point and mail it out Monday to your church, your local pregnancy center, or whichever charity inspires you.  

Remember, "Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." (Luke 6:38)

And, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  Put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, and see if I do not open the floodgates of heaven for you, and pour down upon you blessing without measure!" (Malachi 3:10)

(As an added bonus, read this beautiful treatise on, "Stewardship: A Discipleship of Love," by Bishop Victor B. Galeone, formerly of the Diocese of St. Augustine, FL.).