Stuff, Stuff and More Stuff.
I know, some chick on Netflix has been getting into everyone’s screen minds and telling them to get rid of their stuff. I haven’t watched the show, and really have no interest to watch it either. But, I’m behind her 100% to get rid of stuff, and the anxiety that comes with it.
The last few years I have been combating anxiety that would then turn into frustration at my husband and kids. It was always surrounding the cleanliness of the house or the level of stuff being left behind. I found myself just being easily overwhelmed by messes and clutter. It’s something that I have been praying over and about for a better part of a year.
I really kept getting the word to simplify. Simplify. What does that look like in our modern day world of CRAZY?
Simplify homeschooling. Simplify my business life. Simplify my health. Simplify my home.
I’ve been on this journey of simplifying for about a year. I said “No” to all the extras of homeschooling, we decided to do something amazing this year and actually STAY HOME to do school. It’s been an amazing half a year so far schooling my kids. God is in the simple ness of rest and operating from that versus stress. Otherwise, you are breeding over worked/ stressed out kiddos, and no one wants that!
I quit my job, to actually be HOME and be present with my kids. That was a hard one to swallow, I had a fun job and it had people involved that I loved too! But, at the end of the day, I didn’t feel fulfilled in that job, I felt a lot of stress and longing to be somewhere else. I had always wanted to be a wife and a mom, purely that with no add ons. So much freedom in getting back to my roots on being just that. So much reward in being who I am meant to be. Hard, yes, but oh so good!
I got some heavy health news during my time of simplifying, which just furthered my knowing that God had me on a path of goodness.
I found a doctor who simplified the health issues, gave me knowledge that was worth GOLD to me. I found that less was truly MORE when it comes to taking care of ourselves. We don’t need all the new trends, medicines, etc. We just need to know how God created our bodies to WORK. Praise God for that wisdom and knowledge that only HE can provide! It’s still a process, but I’m thankful for the simple things He has established for me.
Last was my home, it says in proverbs that a wise woman will BUILD her home, but someone who is foolish will tear it down with her own hands.
“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” Proverbs 14:1
This verse knocked me off my feet one day. I probably read it ten times, while I cried over the content. I hadn’t been building my home, and if I wasn’t building it, what was I doing? I was unknowingly tearing it down. One tantrum at a time. One bad decision at a time. One “yes” too many at a time. One obligation at a time. One “SURE! What is one more thing?” at a time. One “what’s a little money thrown at junk to feel good”.
The past few months into the new year, I have focused myself on throwing and donating stuff we do not use, need or utilize to the fullest.
The lady on Netflix is correct about one thing, if it doesn’t bring you JOY, why have it at all? Stuff isn’t a filler. Stuff isn’t there to manufacture joy. Stuff isn’t a fill gap for a crappy attitude or an unhappy life perspective. It’s just what it is, it’s stuff.
Since January 1st, we’ve gotten rid of over 15 bags of useless stuff in our house! FIFTEEN bags! That does NOT include what I donated last year and threw out over the summer months! Our house feels lighter, our tables, bookshelves, cabinets, closets all feel lighter, more organized and now I don’t have to rummage for what I want or need.
My husband said it best “I didn’t realize by having too much, I’d never actually utilize what I wanted to use as well as I do now!”
Now my husband is a CLINGER, he clings to stuff, so for him to have this realization means that the stirring to eliminate and de-stress our lives has made an impact on him as well.
I have noticed that I am less anxious about cleaning up, less cranky about the kids rooms, less upset that stuff is lying around. Why? Because it doesn’t exist anymore.
The kids have less stuff, and GUESS WHAT they play happily with their toys now versus being frustrated with the clutter too. Kids feel that.
Less stuff lies around because we got rid of the clutter, extra furniture, extra crud that we didn’t love or use!
Anxiety for me, I believe is rooted in the clutter of our minds and the clutter of the lives we’ve created. We don’t say “No” enough to the things that don’t matter, and we don’t say “Yes” to our hearts desires enough. We let society, Facebook, Pinterest and our friends dictate social norm for us. We don’t depend enough on the simplicity of God the father, and the ease of his yoke! We take burdens on that we shouldn’t by creating havoc within our homes and minds. It’s time to take that space back for the kingdom of God, and allow your HOME to be a temple that the spirit would dwell within. Your home should be a place of rest, respite and rejuvenation. Not a place of constant mess and stress.
Less stress. Less mess. Less is more. Focus on the less.
Here’s to many MORE bags going out the door within our minds and within our homes. Focus on the goodness of simplicity.
Until next time,
Becca 😘
Rooted With Him 