Keep Movin'

I hate the process of moving. It’s really no fun. But sometimes it’s a necessary evil to get where we need to go. Sound familiar?

There are so many things in life that are really no fun, but after all the hard work is done we can truly appreciate where we’ve been and where we are now. The past two weeks have been a confirmation of that for me, as my family moved…again! (But for what I hope will be the last time for a long, long while.)

It seems I’ve been swimming in an endless stream of boxes and Bubble Wrap; forced to clean out drawers and make “keep-it-or-ditch-it” decisions on items that I swore the last time we moved I’d never take to another house.

Sometimes I don’t think we even realize how much unnecessary “stuff” we accumulate until we are actually forced to face it. As I sorted through still-unpacked boxes from our last move, I realized, If I haven’t used it—or missed it—in a year, I probably don’t need it. There were old clothes I’ll never wear again. I came across toys that my kids just had to have that have gone un-played with since before I can remember. There were lots of things that at one time really seemed important that I realized I don’t need to keep after all.

It actually made me think about many things we don’t need to keep but that, in our human nature, we tend to hold on to.

Maybe you have been holding on to a grudge over something that you can’t even really remember the origin of now, but it seemed important at one time. Or maybe there is bitterness that you’ve packed away that you didn’t have any intention of getting rid of. Is it jealousy? Unforgivenness? Hurt?

I’ve come to the conclusion that sometimes it’s good to unpack your life—both literally and figuratively. Moving forces us to do that. And moving on forces us to do that too. Both are hard, but both are good for us. Both really help us to live a cleaner, less complicated, more peaceful existence.

I think at this time of year, we can all benefit from a good spring cleaning…not just in our homes, but in our hearts and lives as well.