I've been wanting to purge my craft area for quite a while now. I did begin some general purging in my house about 7 or 8 months ago. I made some good progress, but I didn't finish. I can't recall now what it was that distracted me from the process, but it happened.
So, over the last couple of weeks, I've been at it again. The visit to Mexico was a part of that too. The question "Do I really need THIS?" has been being asked about everything my hands come across.
It's a complicated process. And I have trouble continuing in it because of the quantity of stuff I have collected over time. As I've looked at my stuff, I have discovered that I am truly a serious hoarder. I do give lots of stuff away too, but I'm realizing that I collect and collect and never use anything. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but not completely.
Is is a sin to be a pack rat? I say that tongue-in-cheek, and yet, part of me wonders if I shouldn't be so non-chalant. I don't think it is inherently wrong to purchase a large quantity of a supply when it's on sale so that one can save $$, but is there a line there that I may have crossed?
I'd show you a picture of the mess but I'm not sure it would illustrate the magnitude of what I'm dealing with here. Pray for me. I mean it. It is a serious business to part with things which you have held onto for a long time. It can be painful to let go of the stuff. Yes, this is raw, yes it is real. I'm facing myself here. Maybe someone else will be helped to know that hoarding stuff is NOT good for you and that there is light at the end of that very dark tunnel.
A friend of mine had a similar issue with non-perishable food items http://eatingitup.blogspot.com/2008/01/it-aint-pretty.html
ReplyDeleteAlso a fellow Christian, she wondered if she were guilty of 'hoarding.'
I think there is a fine balance between being sensible with the provisions we are given, and trusting that more will be there when we need them!
I look forward to the creative ways you decided to utilize the things you have along with the gifts you've been given.
Might make for some very interesting art!
Or maybe you could 'give back' with community art days or workshops to at risk or in need populations in your community?
OOOOH...I see a blog project on the horizon :)
Wish I could help... In the same boat with you, for sure! My purge was interrupted at the beginning of '09 when we took in my nephew for "2 months" until he graduated college. That 2 became 6 months, when he found work and an apartment. The following month was my dd wedding, then special meetings at church the following month, with vacation, et al. SO tired of the stacks and not wanting to "keep" stuff. What to do? Thanks for the reminder! (SHUT the door when you can, for relief!)
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