It looks like the Benson’s will be moving again. Honestly I am beginning to feel like the Nomadic herdsmen of the Middle East. Never staying too long in any one place before moving along. I am excited about this move, though. We are not going far, only a few miles to a house of our own. We will be leaving the small rental house we moved into just over a year ago. I will be glad for that. I need just a little elbowroom. The house we are moving to is down a little country road with plenty of woodsy property around. I feel all peaceful and contented just thinking about it.

One thing the Nomads have that we don’t is the good sense to travel light. When they decide it’s time to go, they can pretty much fit all of their worldly belongings on the back of a camel or two. No U-HAUL needed. No boxes, no wrapping paper. No trips to the donation center to get rid of unwanted stuff.

While I may not be a real Nomad, the Bensons have moved so many times that I do feel as though I am somewhat of an expert on the subject. When I know a move is coming, I tend to go through the same processes. Way before I pack my first box, I know it’s time to look at all my stuff, and decide what gets to move and what has to go.

I get almost more satisfaction out of getting rid of stuff than in keeping it. Deciding to let things go is really very cathartic for me. Forcing myself, and my family members, to be honest with themselves about what is really important, is actually quite satisfying. It really is amazing how much stuff you can accumulate in just over a year.

It’s hard to be honest with ourselves. We are good at lying to us. I had to be honest about a few pairs of jeans in my closet. I was not likely to get into them any time soon. They were just taking up space in my closet and constantly reminding me that they will no longer zip up and let me breathe at the same time. They mocked me from the hanger. So I let them go. And guess what? They no longer mock me. And hey, should the day come when they would have fit again….

I’ll go buy NEW ones.

I’ve already made two trips to the donation center to give away stuff we don’t need, use, wear, or even know what to do with. Each time the feeling I have can only be described as giddy.

It’s like a palpable weight is lifted with each trip. I imagine my new space with all this clutter gone. I look at the mass of what I have just given away and imagine that much free space in my new home. I’m getting all happy just telling you about it now!

What if we could do the same thing with all the emotional “stuff” we insist on carrying around?

Some of us would need a whole herd of camels to carry around the emotional baggage we insist on holding onto. Maybe it’s time to make an emotional move, and decide it’s time to get rid of some things.

What about that careless comment your grade school teacher said about how you’d never amount to anything?

How about that statement your mom made in anger when you were a teenager and completely stressing her out?

And that thoughtless action from that so called friend, spouse, family member?

Some of us carry around even heavier things… things we don’t talk to anyone about.

But what if we decided to let all that stuff go? Just let it go? You know, on my trips to the donation center, I pull up, open my trunk, take out the bags and boxes, and hand it all over to the nice man there. I have no idea what happens to it next. He puts it in this big truck, gives me a receipt, and I never see it again. Never. I don’t wake up the next day to find it back at my front door. Nope. It’s gone for good.

That can be true of our emotional stuff, too. We can hand it all over to God and He will get rid of it for us. He loves to do that. He won’t bring it back to us either. I don’t know what He does with it, but He won’t bring it back. Once we truly let it go, I mean really let it go, it’s done. Gone. And then what’s left? Space! Space in our hearts and minds that can be filled with peace and contentment.

Just think of how crowded your emotional space is. What if you decided to move to a better space? How much of that emotional junk would you be willing to let go of? Be honest. Is it really serving you all that well? Doesn’t it just get in the way of better things that could come into your life if it was gone?