Confessions of a Recovering Stuffaholic
The American dream.
We all have an idea of what that looks like. We dream. We look through magazines. We pin ideas on Pinterest. We shop. We look at other’s homes and have home envy. We watch our favorite TV shows, dreaming of buying the size home the couples on these shows buy.
Then reality hits. We stop thinking with our minds and think from our hearts.
That is what happened to my husband and I when we went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Not only were our minds changed by what we saw, our hearts were forever changed by the people who lived joyfully and content in a 3rd world setting.
I broke.
At that time, we were living in a 1,051 square foot house, two bedroom, one bath. Not large by American standards, but to us it was enough. Yet what made the space feel even smaller, was the amount of stuff we had cluttering up our home.
I broke down in tears as I witnessed the lives of the people in the DR and had a realization in my own life, that “this” was not how I wanted to live. Thus began a life of simplifying, which has now turned into living an organized life with less.
Where did we start?
I started to read blogs and books – such a novel idea, right? Well, at the time it was perfect. Reading other’s stories brought to light what was going on in our own life, while also encouraging me that we were not alone. There were others who desired to live with less. Our faith and convictions also drove much of what we desired to do. As I walked through our home and realized we did not need half the stuff in it, I knew I needed to start somewhere. I needed to start with myself first.
· Am I content: if not, why not?
· Why do I look at what everyone else has?
· Do have an attitude of gratitude for what I have been blessed with?
· Why do I continue to buy things?
· What do I feel God has called me to when it comes to living with less?
As I went through those questions, I also kept in mind the people of the Dominican Republic. While talking with them in their homes, I admired their simplicity. One couch. One picture on the wall. A few pans. Enough dishes to serve their family and a few guests. It was all they had, yet their faces said it all – they were content. That was what I desired: contentment.
Our desire to live with less did not stop there. Our lives were forever changed when my husband lost his job and just 3 short weeks later, we lost our two children who were just a few weeks old, inside of the womb of our gestational carrier. Our world was turned upside down. So much loss in such a short period of time. Because of the job loss, we had to move out of our house and in with my in-laws (which we are forever grateful to them for!). Living with less took on a whole new meaning for us. What started on a mission trip, ended up influencing our lives years later.
We now live in another state, in a rental. Moving honestly did WONDERS for our desire to live with less. We were rather ashamed as we lined our yard with things to donate, recycle, or to go in the trash, but we knew we had to start somewhere and this was just another part of the living-with-less process. We did not think that our journey would include such loss, but as we reflected on our experiences in other cultures, we knew it was all for a purpose. Contentment can’t be found in our earthly possessions, but only in Him.
We continue to simplify. We continue to try to learn to live with less. We were able to travel this year to another 3rdworld country and we pray that opportunities such as those continue to arise. Our hearts continue to be molded by those experiences, so much that I started this blog.It grew out of a desire to take 100 days and 100 ordinary items in your home, and try to live with less of them. Though that challenge is physically done, I continue to strive to find other ways to encourage others to take a look at their own lives and how they too, can live with less.
Please check out tomorrow’s post: I want to hear about YOUR story!
Wow, this is really inspiring!! I am doing a declutter project myself these days, and its hard. But I notice that it makes me so much less stressful! Its worth it. I thank God for helping me through it 🙂
Thank you! Isn't decluttering such an inspiring yet difficult job in itself? You are so right though – it DOES make you less stressed! When you don't see the clutter, when you don't see all that you have, our minds aren't filled to overflowing as quickly. God inspires and shows Himself to us in ways we never expect :)! Thanks for sharing! If you want, share your story too!
I found you through a link on Pinterest. I too, like you have been 'decluttering'. It actually started about 5 or more years ago, and I continue to declutter and question whether or not I need to purchase an item, or why I need an item I already own. Ridding one's self of unnecessary items does so much more than free up physical space, it all frees up one's mind to be open to new possibilities in life. It not only 'lightens your load', it can also take weight off your shoulders. I never thought I had a cluttered home, as my 'treasures' were pleasingly arranged and well-organized. What got me on the 'purging' track, was reading decuttering books by Don Aslet… wow, what an eye-opener. I realized how much energy I was expending by dusting, arranging, and protecting my 'things'. Get rid of the things, you gain mountains of time, storage space for what really needs to be kept, and most of all, peace of mind and lack of mental stress. I could go on and on about all the reasons why it's great to live a more simple life of only having what you need and truly love. We live in such a saturated culture of buying and wanting. Print ads and media entice us and fool us into thinking what we may have just purchased, just isn't quite enough or good enough. Our clothes are good enough, our car isn't good enough, our house isn't good enough. We think we will find fulfillment in 'more', but even after we acquire more, the only thing we have more of is discontent and perhaps more debt. God requires us to be good stewards of everything He has given us–our health, our children, our material possessions, and our money– after all, He really is the owner, and we are the simply 'using' it for just a season of life. I encourage your readers to honor God by using what He has given us for His glory, whether it be to share, or to give away. Thank you for your tips, I have read quite a few posts, and they are inspiring, in fact, I have another pile started of items to pass on to others. One little thing… I don't follow the 'one in, one out' rule, as I feel that is actually not progress. I follow the 3, 5, or more things out, and perhaps only 1 item back in. I've also found that limiting TV viewing, magazine reading (very difficult for me as I like to decorate), and 'just looking' in stores, is a very important key in not purchasing more unnecessary 'stuff'. Be creative and make the most of what you already own, be it what food you have in your pantry, the clothes you own, or the decorations you already have (perhaps stored away!). Again, thank you for your tips for becoming more content with less. As the Apostle Paul said, "I have learned to be content with little or much…" (loose translation!).
Joy, thank you so much for sharing this and for sharing your heart! You hit it right on the dot in so many ways. Our culture does steer us in the wrong direction at times, trying to entice us and tell us what we need, instead of really taking inventory of our own stuff and realizing we have WAY more than what we need! I LOVE your 1 in, 3-5 out rule! Decluttering does free up so much more than just physical space, like you said. I have literally felt much lighter in many ways, since decluttering every room. It is such a good feeling, isn't it? I love your reference to Paul – talk about being content in tough circumstances! If Paul can do it, I should be motivated to follow :). Thanks again for your words and feel free to share as many posts as you would like 🙂