Turn, Turn, Turn 6

For everything there is a season,

and a time to every purpose under heaven.

A time to get and a time to lose,

A time to keep, and a time to cast away.

Ecclesiastes 3:1,6

My father was a pack rat.  I’m sure if he were here to defend himself, he would use the term “collector.”  He could never get rid of anything, because “some day” he might need it.  Dad had a large shop at the rear of our property, as well as a huge lean-to and three storage sheds. What didn’t fit inside these areas was kept covered outside.  There was a 1955 Chevy station wagon filled with hub caps, and a 1939 Chevy coupe packed with other assorted car parts.  The lean-to sheltered tractors and small gas engines in various stages of restoration.  Inside the shop, there were shelves of baby food jars and yellow Kodak boxes – each with a different size of nail, screw, washer, nut, or bolt.  Each container was neatly stacked and clearly marked.  Viewing the back yard area of our home was like glimpsing a chronicle of my father’s life.

In contrast, the landscape around my home is orderly and pristine:  two storage sheds and a small lean-to for gardening tools are ship-shape.  The inside of my home, however, is a totally different story.  I drown in paper.  Every flat surface in my home is covered with paper – even the top of my baby grand piano. E-mails, Internet search results, Bible studies, worksheets for teaching, junk mail, good mail, bills, advertisements for discounts – I can’t seem to throw anything away because it might come in handy.  I can whip myself in shape and start through the house determined to clear surfaces and fill the recycle bin.  Invariably, I quickly come to something I just can’t throw away.  After all, I might need it “some day.”  Half the time, instead of casting away, I simply re-stack. Truly, the acorn does not fall far from the tree.

I have, however, taught my children that when it comes to material things such as shoes, clothing, books, etc., there is a time to keep, and a time to give to Goodwill.  Giving to someone whose needs are greater than my own helps me admit that the shirt I bought two weeks ago, though brand new, is never going to look good on me no matter how long I hang on to it.  When I know that my unused or no longer needed items will be a treasure for someone else, the task of gathering together and "casting away" becomes an experience of shared joy.