Ever read that passage in Ecclesiastes 3? Something about a time for everything... If you're unfamiliar- here it is:
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
I always enjoy reading this passage, but there are times that it just makes more sense- you know- hits me at my inner core. this is one of those times.
About 6 months ago David and I started toying with the idea of selling our home. However, it didn't make sense- we didn't have a place to go- we didn't have a vision for why we would sell it. I showed him a 1,000 sq ft home for sale on the SW side of Detroit (aka mexicantown) for $18,000-- move in ready. He said (and I'll never forget)- "I'll do 1,000 sq ft with you- but not with all our crap- you have to start getting rid of things. Shoot. Blah. My things? We don't have that much stuff. and he laughed.... and thus began a journey that I'd like to take you on....
this spring I started collecting things and putting them in our guest room. Bins and bins of baby clothes- baby stuff-- strollers, swing, wraps- you know- all those things we need for babies... and then I moved onto households- excess tablecloths and placemats and kitchen stuff- important stuff I never imagined living without-- and then clothes- clothes and more clothes- shoes- pieces of furniture. The guest room was full. I dropped off stuff with friends starting their baby journey. I took loads to a friend's house for her garage sale. I dropped off stuff at Salvation Army. Phew. It felt good to let go of stuff.
and then 2014 rang in. a. new. year. a year I've waited to welcome in!
I kept hearing that people are having a hard time finding places to live in Detroit- houses are selling quick. And all this info was floating around in my head- and then David started talking more and more about our finances.... we bought this house to live in community- but there's no one here. Did I mention Nate moved out yesterday!?!?! He bought a house!!! So for the first time in 5 years we are living alone. So I said to David- let's sell. And for the first time.... he agreed. So in came the realtor with what we need to fix up. And I began the purging process... again.
Clothes. Shoes. more kitchen stuff. office stuff. I think I have put my hands on everything we own. I've sorted mementos and papers and dolls and toys- oh the toys. good-bye toys. I've done reading- lots and lots of reading on minimizing, letting go. I want to go from a 3,000 sq ft (of space to put things) to a 1,000 sq ft space to live and put things. I want less. I want to spend less on where I live and what it takes to maintain it and spend more on doing things and helping people. I'm over the big house american dream. It's not for me. I want to be able to pack up everything I own and put it in a storage unit and go to Africa for a year. I want to be able to clean the house in a morning. I want to focus on my kids more.
Remember this is about us and about our "time" that God is leading us into. This isn't a judgment on anyone-- or an expectation that anyone live like this. Because there's a time for everything- and God has made it so clear that this is our time.
There are a lot of factors that go into this decision---- specifically a little boy with glasses. This little boy needs less space to find havoc. I want to be able to hear him. With four floors it's easy to lose him. Just the other day the front door was open and I wasn't sure if he was somewhere in the house or outside. I ran outside and saw these mormon missionaries on their bikes and asked them to look for a little boy with blue glasses meanwhile I ran back in the house to find him-- I couldn't lose time looking in my house knowing he could be outside- but the house can be just as dangerous as the outside world.... well I found him in the house- thanked the bikers and went on with my day. But this doesn't have to be our life. We don't have to worry. We can live in a smaller space- a space more fit for our family.
The other factor is a bit more futuristic. David is done with residency in 17 months. This is the final countdown. Of course he's talking about being chief and all that for another year (But we've agreed to not discuss this for another 6 months) and so if these are our final months in Detroit we want them to be free of the responsibilities that come from owning a home. We want to be able to just focus on people.
And so we have moved forward with selling the beast. The home we fixed with the Selles- every single inch in this home had to be redone. The home we brought Lily home to. We built a swing set and a sand box and garden beds. We've painted every wall. We've had countless parties and celebrations. We've cried great tears here. This was my dream home- I thought we'd be here for a very long time. David has said over and over again- we are never moving- unless we move away. But when you know something is true in your heart- God just pounds it on the walls. I see it everywhere. I am anxious and restless and yet I have so much peace in the decision.
The unknown is terrifying- will we sell it? will we find a place to live? will i miss it? will i miss my things?
We are in the final stages- we have a potential buyer even. But there's a lot of unknowns that need to work themselves out. and there's still stuff to sort and give away- the final stage stuff that will be harder to let go of. But I really feel this time that letting go is actually the only way to getting more...
so join us on the journey of something new... something unknown... something wonderful...
