Smaller Bin

Two weeks before Christmas my husband came to me and said, “I found a huge bin in the basement with all kinds of wrapping paper, boxes, Christmas cards, bows, and gift bags in it. You should really look in the box. You don’t need to buy anything else.” I went downstairs and couldn’t believe all the items that were in that bin. Most of the things in the bin were 10 years old. And you could tell. The adhesive on the bows didn’t stick anymore. The colors on the gift boxes were starting to fade. And the wrapping paper had a layer of soot on it from being in a box by the furnace for the last decade.

The truth is… I forgot all about that bin 

I spent the next few hours going through everything

And I decided… I’m not going into 2017 with all this OLD STUFF

I gave rolls and rolls of wrapping paper to family and friends. I put presents in gift boxes, then wrapped them, then put them in gift bags just so I could use all the things I’ve accumulated over the years. Even after trying my hardest to use everything, I still had things left over.

There were a few remnants

I said to myself, “I’ll use the rest of the stuff next Christmas. It’s okay if I bring a few of these things into next year. I can’t LET GO of all this stuff.”

So I packed them up in a smaller bin

However, I wasn’t able to get the “smaller bin” off my mind

Why am I trying to take all these “old things” into a “new year”? Why is it so hard for me to LET GO? 

The truth is… I don’t know 

But I do know… I don’t want 2017 to be filled with bows that don’t stick, boxes that are fading, and wrapping paper that doesn’t feel right

So I emptied the “smaller bin” into a garbage bag and dropped it off at the local thrift store

I don’t want 2017 to be filled with remnants of 2016

Lord, help me realize when I’m making “smaller bins” in my life. Don’t let me hold on to things that You’ve already instructed me to get rid of. Help me to LET GO of things that that no longer have purpose in my life. Help me to make more room for you.