It is crazy how quickly life can change. Not only am I now planning a wedding, but my wedding, and still beyond that, preparing to build the rest of my life with the man I love.
What's even more mind-boggling than that is how incredibly good God is to those who are willing to wait for Him. I cannot even begin to bless His name enough for the blessings He has bestowed upon me.
But along with blessings come lessons too.
Because of the direction the Lord has led us, I've found myself confronted with the same struggles I was dealing with at the beginning of this year. The desire to hold on to earthly things and attachments is being tested full-force.
Things.
While I've never been especially covetous, I am very sentimental. As boxes of belongings need to be sorted through, this sentimental drive has been beating me up. On one shoulder, the small voice of self whispers, "It's okay to be attached to stuff. It's perfectly normal for a bride-to-be to load up her registry with nice things to make a house a home." On the other side, however, is voice of Jesus Christ saying, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on the earth...but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." While gritting my teeth, I put another box of "stuff" in the Goodwill pile. Even though most of these things aren't practical, useful, or especially heart-warming, I still hate to get rid of those extra fiction novels or the clothes I may someday fit into.
I understand there are items we need to live and even things that are acceptable to still hold on to. There is nothing wrong with nice things but the problem arises in the power hold they hold over us. In part, the reason so many of my "things" are not coming with me is because Russell and I simply don't have room in my car or in our apartment for frivolous pretties. Yet, I know within me that the Lord is just teaching me a lesson I'll need for later. Sometime the need to pull this lesson off the shelf will arise and whenever the Lord sends us to the mission field, it will be put again to the test. Better learn it now.
The whole reason the Saviour pleads with us as Christians not to put stock in earthly belongings is simply this: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
My treasure cannot be found in matching plate sets, white picket fences, or a way of life that culture dictates. Instead, my treasures should be found in memories, people, and experiences and ultimately, those things that bring glory to God. Those are the things that last. There is freedom found in letting go and leaving things behind and turning focus upward and outward.
Thank you all for your support and prayers! I've been wishing for a bit of extra time to sit down a write a blog post and the Lord provided it today!
On December the 8th, I'm going to marry my bestest friend and honestly, the best young man I know. Remember, my friends, that the Lord ALWAYS does exceedingly abundant above what we could ever ask or think!
“Bit by bit treasured keepsakes and souvenirs were being wrested from me. I was being taught to live so that my most treasured mementos took the form of beautiful memories stored in the file of my heart." - Darlene Deibler Rose
