Joy in The Journey

My oldest daughter gave me this mug as part of my Christmas.  I LOVE it!!  Just the word 'joy' made me smile and lifted my spirit.  

The New Year is approaching.  College classes will be starting for me.  We'll go back to our school routine.  For now, I intend to just enjoy the break from it all.  I intend to pray. I intend to simplify some things because complicated makes me stressed.

Stress makes me sick.  

Recently I was reading The Book of Mysteries by Jonathan Cahn and I came across a couple very important truths.  The first was The Mystery of the Bride.  This devotion was simply about how, as the Bride of Christ, we are wired to find our completion in Jesus.  When we try to fill that void with things or achievements or people or money, we will not find true peace.  Then, a few days later, I read about The Tent World.  The Hebrew people wandered the desert as nomads for forty years.  They lived in tents.  Embodied in this is how this world and all that is in it is temporary.  This world is not our home.  We are just passing through as campers.  "This journey, for the child of God, is the journey home, to the Promise Land."

All the books and articles I have read on simple living and minimalism point to the truth of this being a temporary dwelling place, even though many of the authors aren't Christian.  However, Christians are starting to "get it" also.  More and more Christians are writing books about how Scripture points to not placing our focus on the things of this world.  

“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I have a problem with Christianity being nothing more than a "churchy" version of the American dream.  Will God bless financially?  Yes, of course.  He wants us to be able to bless others.  In the early church the Christians shared everything together, sold land and possessions to bless others.  This seems vital to me.  I don't think God separates between secular and spiritual.  It is all about Him.  Our jobs... about Him.  Our stuff...  about Him.  If we are simply passing through this world, and we can't take any of it with us, should we spend our lives acquiring a bunch of stuff that weighs us down and may even keep us from Him?

Think stuff doesn't keep you from Him?  How many hours are you working to have all this stuff and to maintain a lifestyle that is expensive?  How many hours are you spending caring for this stuff?  How much of your heart does your stuff have a hold on?

I am preaching to myself here.  When my husband and I were forced to downsize a couple years ago, we had to get rid of a lot of stuff.  It was difficult to do at the time.  And yet, I don't miss any of it now.  Then, a year ago, when I went through a mass decluttering purge, it was difficult.  And yet, I don't miss any of the stuff.  Now that I need to declutter again, I feel a clash in my spirit between wanting to hold on to things and wanting to let go and simplify.  The end result is more peace and order, but the process can be emotionally difficult. 

Yes, ridding myself of things can be emotionally difficult.  We attach ourselves to our things.  We place value on them by the memories they bring.  I have many of my Grandmother's things.  She passed away a few years ago, and I stored her things.  Now, as I give her things to family, it is difficult because these were her items.  I loved her so much, and her things around make me feel like a part of her is with me.  But I can't hold onto all this stuff.  And she is with Jesus.  So, one knock-knack at a time, I am parting with  them slowly.

I have a vision in my mind of what I want my life to represent.  I keep that vision close because, when I stop thinking of that vision, I allow life to get complicated.  I have this vision of traveling lightly through this world,taking  pictures of the journey, writing about the journey, and experiencing this journey with Jesus by my side.  Part of this journey right now is homeschooling my children, discipline them for Christ.  I'm embarking on a new journey as I go to college again after 25 years. Now, I desire to make the journey light.  I don't want to carry the weight of all this stuff any longer.  I want to have JOY in the journey.