Voices from the Past: It's Time to Let Go of the Goods!

Last week Angie, the girls and myself helped my sister-in-law and brother-in-law move into their new home. There was so much excitement in the air yet the stress of moving kept bringing us to the reality of the event. My sister-in-law kept saying, "Where did all this stuff come from!?" After 48hrs everything was moved in and the house was set up to be operational! When my brother-in-law and I went to get the last load from the old house, he looked at me and said, "I did not think we were going to move all this stuff in just 48hrs." Just a few weeks ago we decided to have a garage sale of our own. As we begin cleaning the garage and attic I could not believe how much STUFF we had! Come on now...admit it...you've been there too! Stuff that we have accumulated in the last nineteen years. The sad thing, some of the stuff I had totally forgotten about. As we set up the garage sale Angie would ask "How much are we going to sell this stuff for?" My response, "Cheap...I want the stuff out of here." The first customer comes by (7am) and wanted to know how much for the drill...I said "$10". He responded "$5". I said "Take it it's yours!" (It was an old drill). A professional garage shopper came by. You know the ones that pull up with a truck and pull out a wad of ones and fives. Oh yeah, they knew what they were doing. The professionals circled the girls bike they had outgrown. I saw him eyeing it. I had them hooked! I would notice him eyeballing me. "Hey, how much for the bike?" My response, "$15". He eyeballed me again..."I'll give you ten." My response..."Take it its yours! And I will even throw in the bike helmet!" He walked away thinking he was Alexander the Great, plumage and conquering his next victim! Oh he was goooooood! I just did not let him know...I wanted the stuff out!!! My daughters even got into the act! We had told them that the money raised would go towards their T-shirt business supplies. As customers came and began to look at the clothes, they sprang into action. "What size are you looking for ma'am?" "This would look great on you." My little entrepreneurs! In all a days work (5hrs) we got rid of some stuff and made $150!

Stuff! As I look back, God began to speak to my heart. The question presented to me...How much "stuff" has gotten in the way of my relationship with Him? My success? My dreams? My passions? Sometimes we carry so much "stuff". Oh let's see...lack of self esteem from words of the past. Doubt because of failures of the past. Pain from actions of those who may have hurt us. Lost love? Fear. Hopelessness? You could probably add some more. Remember this, you have been wonderfully made! Meaning, that God has equipped you with all the tools you need to fulfill His call in your life. David writes..

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed. Psalm 139:13-16 (New Living Translation)

In order to let go of the goods, I believe we need to do the following:

Acknowledge that you have stuff.
We sometimes bury our "stuff" with other "stuff" in hopes to bury it. Yet all it does is accumulate. It never goes away and it begins to weigh on our hearts and sap our passion and dreams from us. For years our "stuff" faced us. I did not want to tackle it because it was so much junk! I knew that it was going to be a big chore. So we let it go, and more "stuff" was piled on and procrastination set in. It wasn't until we started pulling stuff down that we realized we had acquired some wasteful junk! God will do his part, when we do ours...acknowledge your "stuff" and realize that it cannot not be done on your own. There is a saying I tell my students. "I" is not perfect, thus the need for an all perfect, knowing, powerful, everywhere present God.

Put it out to be "sold"
This is the part that sometimes is the hardest. Putting out our junk on the yard for everyone to see. People come and place a value on our used stuff. Yet when we talk about our life...it is that "junk" that is placed on the drive way of life, that God comes by and says, "I'll take all of it!"

Be anxious to let it go
Don't hold back...let go! I did not care the price of the item, I just wanted it out of my possession. All toy's...$1. Clothes...$1. Get it out of my yard! It is that attitude we must have when the Ultimate garage sale professional comes by and says "I'll take it all." No strings attached.

VOICES FROM THE PAST

From D.L. Moody, American Evangelist of the late 1800's.

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you"
(1 Peter 5:7).

A great many people seem to embalm their troubles. I always feel like running away when I see them coming. They bring out their old mummy, and tell you in a sad voice:

"You don't know the troubles I have!"

My friends, if you go to the Lord with your troubles, He will take them away. Would you not rather be with the Lord and get rid of your troubles, than be with your troubles and without God? Let trouble come if it will drive us nearer to God.

It is a great thing to have a place of resort in the time of trouble. How people get on without the God of the Bible is a mystery to me. If I didn't have such a refuge, a place to go and pour out my heart to God in such times, I don't know what I would do. It seems as if I would go out of my mind. But to think, when the heart is burdened, we can go and pour it into His ear, and then have the answer come back, "I will be with him," there is comfort in that!

I thank God for the old Book. I thank God for this old promise. It is as sweet and fresh today as it has ever been. Thank God, none of those promises are out of date, or grown stale. They are as fresh and vigorous and young and sweet as ever. (D.L. Moody, "Cast your Cares"; sermonindex.net)

To read more on the history of D.L. Moody go to the following link: http://www.eaec.org/faithhallfame/dlmoody.htm

It's time to let go of the goods! No matter what cost. Many times the very thing that holds us back from fulfilling God's intentions for our lives is... us.

His call. His gifts. Your purpose. Irrevocable.