Stuff

It seems the biggest challenge we face as we go down this path is dealing with the 'stuff'. For me it's mostly physical and logistical, for Beth probably a lot more emotional, but we both are having to deal with a lot of stuff. It's amazing how much stuff we accumulate in a lifetime. Of course with a large house there is a lot of space to fill, and we've been very successful. What do you do with all the things you've aquired in 30 years of marriage, and raising three children? What is worth keeping? What do you want to pass along? What are the milestones and memories associated with it? So many physical things to deal with, most of which can be handled practically - until you attach emotional value to them. Jesus taught us to be satisfied with the basics - food and shelter - and Father who loves us and cares for us more than we can know would provide - does provide. So I ask myself; how have I come to have and 'need' so much, and why is it so hard to part with it? Sometimes I wonder is part of the excitement about what we're doing because I feel like it will shed some of the 'stuff' burden? Is it escapism? Where we're going, Cameroon and Uganda, life seems so much simpler, at least compared to what we're used to. Is that what I hope for? Ironically, the people whose lives we hope to be a part of would love to have the stuff I'd like to be rid of. A major part of the YWAM philosophy is to trust God. As the planning and preparation don't go as anticipated, I have no choice but to try to embrace that. 54 years of doing it differently is hard to change. There's a lot of elephant left, but "It's all gonna be okay".