Kneeling on the carpet next to my suitcases, my lower back aches. I know that when I stand up, my long legs will have to unravel like pretzels.
Paralyzed . . . that is how I feel . . . surrounded—surrounded by a mountain of “stuff.”
I have gotten “sucked into it.” One of my biggest criticisms of American culture has trapped me once again.
I now look around my house—hills and mountains of STUFF that I have accumulated during our 1 1/2 years in America.
Sucked Into It!
Upon arrival, as determined as I was to not allow myself to get “sucked in,” I am now standing right in the middle of it. I can feel it, smell it, taste it!
Consumerism . . . accumulation . . . stuff!
It’s everywhere. Mountains of THINGS now surround me.
How did it happen overnight, and even against my will?
One Day at a Time
It happened gradually, one day at a time . . . a trip to the dollar store here, a trip to Walmart there, a trip to Salvation Army here, a trip to Good Will there . . . the list goes on and on.
It really snuck up on me and took me by surprise.
A pretty candle here, a fun toy there, a comfortable pair of shoes here, an interesting book there . . . the list goes on and on.
I’m not a “spender.” In fact, I only shop clearance racks and thrift shops. I am an insanely savvy bargain hunter, and I love to save money.
For me, spending money is not the problem. “Stuff” is the problem . . . and my inability to resist buying and taking in MORE STUFF.
It doesn’t matter if my sweater cost $100 at Macy’s or 99 cents at Salvation Army. (Guess which one I bought?!) What matters is it’s ONE MORE THING in my house . . . one more thing to accumulate . . . one more thing for me to tackle when I pack.
Thousands of Decisions
Now, I face a mountain of “stuff” that represents thousands of decisions.
Decisions, decisions, decisions, decisions, decisions . . .
Every object, every piece of clothing, every little toy, every book, every piece of paper symbolizes a decision.
I’ve never been good at decisions, and that’s probably why this paralyzes me.
Vincent on the other hand is great at making decisions. His decision—throw it all away and take only a carry on with us! He believes in “traveling lightly.”
Every purchase made during these 18 months has required these two questions . . . to myself, to my husband, to my children . . .
“How much does it weigh? How big is it? Ultimately, how much weight and space will it take up in the suitcase when we are packing to leave?
The other day in Walmart, Pierre wanted to buy a small soccer ball, and David had a plastic bat and ball in the grocery cart. They each wanted to buy the items with their own money from doing house chores. They are “normal” kids who like to buy “stuff.”
“You Can’t Take Them.”
“Guys, you won’t be able to take them with you to Spain. Our bags are already busting at the seams. You will only be able to play with them for the next few weeks.”
It doesn’t quite seem fair, does it? Life is not fair, is it?
For anyone who has uprooted and moved their family internationally to the other side of the world—you know how precious the weight and space is in each suitcase—every inch and every ounce (or every centimeter and every gram!). Suitcases at 50 pounds (23 kilos) fill up very quickly!
Stuff and More Stuff!
Sitting now in front of my heap of “STUFF” to pack, I find myself asking again . . .
“Will I throw it, store it, give it, sell it, or take it with me to the next place I will call ‘home’?”
These are the same questions that I had to ask myself when we left Morocco, when we left France . . .
Stuff, stuff, stuff!
I’ve been resisting packing, because I don’t want to tackle the mountain of STUFF in my life that I have accumulated. That mountain and all it represents scares me to death.
How Did it Happen?
We have worked with immigrants and refugees who arrive in Europe with only the clothes on their backs. Non-profit organizations around the world provide needed clothing, school supplies, toys, medicines, food, etc. for our nomadic friends. We have lived in North Africa where poverty is in your face and the hungry come knocking at your door daily for yesterday’s “old bread.”
How have I managed to get “sucked in”? As much as I determined not to, I did. I can’t blame anyone but myself. There are no excuses. I stand guilty.
What am I modeling for my children? That we need STUFF? We don’t! We think we do, and we think we can find our security and comfort in things. But, that’s not true!
We have lived among the poor in Africa and Europe. There are many very poor and very happy people in the world. “Stuff” does not bring us joy. May I teach this truth and life lesson to my four children.
With every box I store, with every suitcase I pack, with every trash bag of unneeded papers and “things” I throw out . . . STUFF now surrounds me and overwhelms me!
It’s time for me to leave here. I obviously am not strong enough to resist the temptation.
It is “time to get out our suitcases.” It’s time to leave the “Land of the Familiar.”
Tackle this Mountain!
Today, I have to tackle this mountain. I have no choice. It’s time to go, and I cannot change that. We have plane tickets to leave America on June 1! We are leaving, so I have to cross this bridge. I have to “Do It Scared.”
Today, I have to pack!
So, one item, one decision, one box, one suitcase, one room at a time. I will start chipping away at the mountain and hopefully see some visible progress by the end of the day.
Bridge of Transition
It feels overwhelming, but with God’s strength, I can climb this mountain and see the beauty on the other side of this “Bridge of Transition.” This is all a part of the scary “BorderLand.”
It’s time for me to get out my suitcases and leave the “Land of the Familiar.”
But until then, I must tackle my mountain of STUFF that lies on the bridge of the “BorderLand.”
Here I go . . . again!
This week’s message at church was titled, “What Matters Most” from a series called “Overloaded Lives.” I kept thinking about “what matters most” in my “overloaded bags.” As I make choices about what I’m packing, may I not forget to pack the important “stuff”: my family and friends’ love, words of encouragement, hugs, memories, pictures, life lessons, fun, laughter, tears . . .
That is “what matters most,” and that’s what I need to pack in my bags.
—The Cultural Story-Weaver
Let’s Weave Cultures!
How do you manage your own mountain of “stuff”? Do you have a tendency to hoard, collect, and accumulate, or do you easily declutter, give, and throw your things away?
When you see images and movies of poverty around the world, how does that change your perspective and worldview of consumerism and “stuff”? How does this cultural awareness affect you personally?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
