When I first started really trying to simplify, it was hard – stinkin’ hard!
For starters: I am a sentimental person. Somehow, every special moment that held a treasured memory needed to be remembered with a tangible item {or so I thought}. As a young girl I was known to even keep a napkin that a special someone had wiped their mouth on – I have the “sentimental stupidity” really bad – trust me!
Finally I decided that I couldn’t keep everything, no matter what – especially if I really wanted to live simply. For instance, I had accumulated several vases. One had been a gift from my sweet niece, Candi, but the rest were the kind that someone special had sent flowers in. I could remember each vase as the one from this person and it represented that time. But as much sentimental significance as each one held, did I really need a bunch of vases?
I wanted my life simple. And I did not want to spend my days digging through “stuff”, shuffling a dozen vases in cupboards. The beautiful vase from Candi was a no-brainer – it was gorgeous and it was from her! I would use a canning jar if somehow I needed another vase. All the rest went into the yard sale to bring our Isaiah home. Amazingly I haven’t missed one of them. Not one. Even though the other vases represented special moments, the freedom that getting rid of them beat a cupboard full of “mementos”.
My other problem in simplifying was the thought, “I might need this someday.” I had to ask the Lord for grace and strength as I determined that if I needed it, He would provide it {and He has! As a word of encouragement for those who are stuck in the “I might need this someday trap”, you won’t need it and if by the slightest chance you did, He will provide it again!!}
About the time of starting Isaiah’s adoption I was able to go on my first missions trip. Dw and our oldest kids had been on many, many, to several different third world countries – but I was the one holding down the fort at home with the little ones.
But about four years ago we finally were able to go as a family to Mexico to work in an orphanage there. It changed my life forever. We are convinced that our kids must, must, must go on missions trips. The price of a missions trip is nothing in comparison to the changed hearts that it produces. I will never forget leaving Mexico where we had spent about 5 days working with orphans ages 3 to 14. Graham was 11 at the time and said to me, “Isn’t it funny mom? Kids in America have everything and are so unhappy – they don’t smile much. But the kids in the orphanage have nothing and smile and laugh all the time!”
The original plan was to work in the orphanage for 5 days, then head to visit Abigail and Ryan, and end up at Disneyland and Sea World for some R & R. Our kids begged us not to do all the Sea World & Disneyland stuff, they wanted to go back and work at the orphanage. So as it turns out we spent the 5 days in Mexico, went to see Abi and Ryan for a few days, load our car with smoke alarms and fire extinguishers and went back to the orphanage in Mexico to serve the remainder of our vacation. Dw and Graham installed all the smoke alarms and fire extinguishers and I served in the kitchen. Emma worked with the kids and Liberty helped where she could. {Remember I said that I had been always been giving away smoke alarms – seriously, who’d have guessed a few years later we would lose our home to a fire?}
Anyway, a few months later Dw was going with our staff to a meeting in TX. I asked him if he would mind if I drove the kids to Mexico to serve again. So I loaded the kids {ages 12, 11 and 7} up and the four of us headed to Mexico. It was a week we will never forget – just Emma, Graham, Liberty and I on an adventure!
After serving there I came home on a personal mission: I had to simplify even more. People in Third World countries make due with little. Very little. Many items have multiple purposes. I wanted the simple life that they had.
I decided everything that I hadn’t used in the last few months needed to go! We ditched tons and tons of stuff and had a yard sale to bring our Isaiah home. We were truckloads lighter and boy did it feel good…..But it was a process friends. It didn’t happen overnight, but with persistence, perseverance and a lot of prayer – it is continuing to happen, because I have found, sentimental people don’t lose it overnight. So it is a continual battle and I vow, I am going to win!!
Please link up and share your Simplifying Tips or things you have done to begin to Simplify or the struggles you’ve had, the progress you’ve made…anything about Simplifying your life.
And on a sidenote: Tomorrow we will begin sharing our Crazy Love stories….so please start thinkin about it…K?
I'm expecting our 6th blessing and am just now realizing the need to simplify. You've inspired me to go through my vases today. You're right, I never need them.
What about kids' clothes? This is my weakness since I always think I need to pass them down to our next one. The Lord does always provide and even when I've given everything away, like baby boy clothes, we've been in a position to buy them again. But, it's a combination of sentimentality and thinking I'll need them again. They take up so much space, though! Significant storage space from 3 closets. How do you handle kids' clothes? Do you keep just a few and give the rest?
oh. . .you have given me such motivation and inspiration and thoughts to process. .the more kids I have, the less stuff I have found I need. And we were just talking over lunch as a family that instead of going out to eat, buying packets of gum (what the kids came up with to give up). . we want to spend our money and go on family missions trips. I love that you went as a family. . and served as a family.
your posts cause me to ramble 🙂
thanks for the time you gave posting this
Oh, I just love how God uses you! Seriously, this topic is exactly what's been going through my mind recently. I look at all my junk (I have a bunch of my dorm stuff at home with me & the rest is in storage in Ohio) & all my clothes & it's just kinda awful how much I have… and yet I continue to go shopping? haha. It makes no sense. I, too, am a sentimental type. So, thank you for posting this & thank you for, again, allowing God to speak through you. 🙂
hey-
I just linked the 4 things I do when boneless, skinless chicken breasts go on sale!! All to help me get future dinners on the table cheaper, quicker, and with less stress.
I had a thought: could you at the bottom of all your Striving for Simplicity Posts, put a little blurb that says, "For past Striving for Simplicity posts, click here." And put the link on the word here. . because these Sat posts and their links are gonna be such a resource. With that little sentence, your readers will be able to quickly find your past posts on simplicity. Just a thought.
As always, I enjoy your blog. . it is my favorite of all time. .really.
Warmly-
Su Soutter
Raleigh, NC
I've felt the need to simplify for over a year now and you are absolutely right when you say it is a process. I've been derailed many a time, but I continue to destash and reduce and donate.
We just had a yard sale at the beginning of the month to get rid of a ton of stuff we had pack-ratted in our upstairs office to make room for the little girl. Even with that, while it was nice to finally see the room clear and have some space in the garage, we still have more stuff than we need. More stuff than we could ever use.
My hope is to continue simplifying more. We can be "war" buddies. lol
Mine is paperwork. I keep thinking that I need to keep some wierd piece of paper "just in case" (like the IRS might come calling – which they don't and if they do, I have my tax records in their own accordian file for each year).
However, I do have the kids go through their toys every November to find toys they want to give away, broken toys to throw away, etc. This way, they learn to give, and there is room for Christmas.
I keep the special papers from schoolwork and have come to the realization that if everything is special, then nothing is special.
I also realize that if I don't have a place for something, I don't buy it. Saves on the budget. My kids have only 1 pair of a particular type of shoe, ex: one pair of sandals, one pair of tennis shoes, one pair of dress shoes. Because, really, how many do they need? They outgrow them so fast.
I'm still a long way, but making progress.
I have a blog off my family one called simply Dawson, but I dont' know if I have anything special to add. I have 4 kids, and am wanting to knock out some debt so I can be in a position to adopt. I've been purging a lot too, maybe I should record those moments on my blog.
I just wanted to say, that with all of the pictures you take, the really special moments are already captured, and you don't need to keep vases to remember those moments. There are very few things I treasure, most are handmade, or obviously pictures. May God continue to bless your family, and show those of us thinking about adoption the way.
I too have been trying to get rid of stuff for the past couple of years. Since I moved from a house to a small retirement unit some of it was birthed from necessity. Now I just don't have room but my underlying motivation is that I don't my kids to have to sort out all this "Stuff" when I am not able to do it. I had to hep my mom when she moved to a nursing home and it was hard for her emotionally to realise that no=one wanted her stuff!
I have the hardest problem with photos. I know I don't need them and they are all packed away in boxes but as soon as I start looking through them the sentimentality creeps in and I can't bear to throw them out. I guess I will have to get tough and just throw the xoces withotut looking.
It's a bit like when I used to go through the kid's rooms if you asked them if they still wanted something, they did. If you just got rid of it they hardly ever missed it.
Hey, that's the answer, I will have to get someone else to come in and throw it all away.
Thanks for motivating once again. To get rid of stuff.
Just wanted to ask anyone reading this to please pray for Abby Riggs. She is a little girl with cancer and her temperature spiked to 107 today. Thank you!
http://www.riggsfamilyblog.com/
OK my friend, right after reading this yeaterday I went and had a long talk with the kids about a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE pile of toys that we have all been to overwhelemd to go through. I told them that the pile of toys was causing way to much stress because Chris and I were tired of loking at it and they were tired of cleaning it. These are not toys they use everyday.
I really though it would be like pulling teeth to get them to give them up but NO they chose to give up about 95% of them and they were sooooo excited afterwords because it has just been too overwhleming.
Right after we cleaned it up they began playing in that room again and that's something they hadn't done in a long time.
THANK YOU!!!
PS Chris' closet is next. 🙂
I see that someone above already had the same thought/question I do! Clothes and closets! How do you handle that with your children??? We have 4 so far (7 and under) and this is a struggle for me. I've tried different ideas, but haven't hit on the perfect thing yet.
So, I'd love to hear how you simplify in the clothes/closets area!
Thank you so much for these posts…and all your posts, Linny!
Blessings,
Joli in GA
What great timing! We officially listed the house 2 weeks ago and have been going through it (including barn, garage, and attic…) trying to purge. Boy can it be hard! Thanks for the reminders of how freeing it can be and to get over the "I might need it someday" thoughts. We are working on doing a mission as a family. We really want the children involved to really see, with eyes and hearts, what others have and not necessarily things!
Thanks!
What great timing! We officially listed the house 2 weeks ago and have been going through it (including barn, garage, and attic…) trying to purge. Boy can it be hard! Thanks for the reminders of how freeing it can be and to get over the "I might need it someday" thoughts. We are working on doing a mission as a family. We really want the children involved to really see, with eyes and hearts, what others have and not necessarily things!
Thanks!
I am reading your post from China, as I am here on a Mission Trip! I even got to visit with Bill and Lynsay while we were in Beijing! Nothing like spending your vacations being Jesus' hands and feet!
Are you writing this just for me??
I really need to hear it! Oh my, do I have stuff and then more stuff and more stuff. I need to get purging asap. I have my parents stuff and 28 plus years of marriage stuff and a boatload of children's things. It is much too much.
It stresses me to have it, It stresses me to get rid of it so I try to pretend it's not there. I need to be free from it, free to live simply and serve the Lord. Free to bring the children home and free from the sentimental hold it has on me.
Thank you for this post! BUT before I purge I need to go to China to get 2 girls!!
Linny, I just want to let you know how much these posts encourage me. I'm a sentimental keeper, but you help me put all this "stuff" into perspective. I'm learning to question everything that I keep. (And I've got a box of vases that are about to be donated.)
Thanks for taking the time to share your tips on living simply.
Much Love,
Kathie