A Word for Our Arbor Family

As I was cleaning out my garage, I realized my task was very similar to my personal life.

Robin and I recently had an opportunity to buy something that we've been talking about since before we got married. We both love classic muscle cars; specifically 1960's Mustangs. A friend of Robin's was selling one. We both wanted to jump on it, but there's one problem. The garage was full. I mean FULL... Kids' bikes... Boxes of AV/Tech equipment... Lawn tools... Camping gear... These are all good things.

Then... there's the other things... Parts for cars we haven't owned in years... Boxes of cables (You know... those cables you have "just in case." After 30 years in AV/Tech, I had more than just a couple of boxes.)... Power tools that don't work, but "I'm going to fix it!"...  Scrap lumber that I moved from my old house 6 years ago because "I'm going to make something out of that"... (I would not actually make anything out of ANY of that!)

As I was filling bags of trash, I was frustrated. Frustrated that I'd held on to so much junk. Frustrated by the unfinished projects that I had never made time for. But it didn't really matter now because I had something that I wanted even more. Something better that I needed to make room for.

Driving that 1965 Ford Mustang home, you couldn't slap the smile off my face. I didn't care one bit about the things I put in the trash. I was driving a car I'd dreamt about owning for over 30 years.  

I wonder, what else am I hanging on to in my life that God wants me to get rid of in order to make room for something better?  What have I convinced myself I "need", but, in reality, it's just taking up space, draining my mental energy, or distracting me from God?  What better things does God want to put in place of all that clutter that I've convinced myself I can't live without?

I'm going to work on holding things with an open hand, and letting God be the One who decides what I keep and what I toss. When you see a 1965 red Ford Mustang parked out in the back corner of our church parking lot, I hope you think about what better things God wants to give you. And don't wait to clean out the clutter. Start letting Him make room today.