New Year De-Cluttering and Moses 1:35

Happy New Year!


We cracked down today and combed out over 6 garbage bags worth of stuff to take to Good Will. It feels great to simplify and just get rid of things sometimes, doesn't it? We will be moving once Kyle finishes dental school in May, so we decided to get ruthless about throwing things away. "If it's not worth storing it now, finding a box for it in a few months, filling that box, getting that box on a truck, hauling that box across the country, getting that box off the truck, unloading that box, and finding a new place for that item--then let's get rid of it now."



I am amazed at how much stuff you can accumulate in a lifetime! You think, "where did all this stuff even COME from?!" Yet, I can choose any item out of millions in my house and I can tell you why we have it and how we got it.

1. Little black socks: My son and I both got tired of trying to inch on his tight Sunday socks, so we bought some slippery dressy ones. He can get them on all by himself! I planned the purchase, went to the store, put them in my cart, paid for them, got them home, took off the tag, washed them, and found a place to keep them.

2. Fondue Pot: Lovely Christmas present from my husband. Came with a recipe book and 8 fondue forks. Filled it on New Year's Eve with a fabulous cheese fondue. (What do you get when you combine 2 incredibly nasty smelling cheeses with one normal cheese, some cornstarch, and some white grape juice? A delicious dip for bread and veggies!)

3. Old, broken laptop: Got as a high school graduation present from my parents. Used it through college, and it has been sitting in my closet for 3 years since it crashed. (Learned today that a friend can take it to his work and wipe the hard drive for us so we don't have to worry about a hacker getting it out of the dumpster and stealing our identity)

And of course, the list goes on forever. I have shirts, shoes, toys, appliances, books, jewelry, cleaning supplies, etc. And I can tell you exactly how and why (well usually) I have it in my house.


So, what does that have to do with Moses 1:35? Well, I was reading tonight about Moses and how God shows him "the world..and all the children of men which are, and which were created." I can't even fathom how many people that is. I can't even get my head around how many people live in one city, no less an entire country, a whole world, and then all that were and will ever be born. How can God know me personally if there are more than billions of others? How can He care about me, and be involved in the details of my life, when I am one grain of sand on the beach?

That's why I love verse 35: "And there are many [worlds] that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them."

They are mine, and I know them. I understand that! I have innumerable amounts of stuff even just in my house, but all the things I have are mine, and I know them. I know the purpose of each item, and I took great care to purchase it for a unique reason so it could enrich our lives, help us accomplish things, and bring us joy. My son could never keep track of everything in our home and know where it goes and how much it costs or understand why we have it or what it's used for. (He can barely keep track of his 15 ninja turtle action figures!) So as I multiplied that all out,in the equation where I'm the little kid and God is the parent, I started to grasp a little bit more fully how it could be possible for God's creations to be innumerable to man, but for him to say, "all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them."

That was a neat thought for me. And the coolest part about it is that we're not just socks, or fondue pots, or old computers to the Lord. Each of us is his CHILD. We're not just a rusty old knick knack in a storage bin somewhere in his closet. We are his CHILDREN!
So many things come into clearer focus when we remember that. Of course I know my sons' names. Of course I know what that they need. Of course I know how they learn the best, and I care what they struggle with, and how to help them. And of course I don't do everything for them just because I can, because I want them to learn how to do it for themselves.
So that means that my Heavenly Father knows me by name, He knows what I need, He knows how I learn the best, He knows what I struggle with, and He is constantly devising creative ways to help me learn new things. So I can learn how to be like Him.

"All things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them."

He knows me. He knows you too. :)