Remodeling

The past few weeks we have been preparing for a major remodeling job for our home. We are getting the siding replaced and the windows upgraded, among other changes.

At first, it didn't seem like such a big deal. Take the windows out, put new ones it. Hammer on the new siding. What's the big deal? A few weeks of noise and a little dust, right?

Then we met with our contractor and discovered what we had to do! All pictures should come down off the walls. The vibration and pounding could knock them down and break them. All curtains and curtain rods and brackets must be taken down. Anything valuable that could be stolen by an unescorted worker should be packed away out of sight. Anything fragile, which could be bounced or shaken loose or fall over, must packed away. Anything that could be damaged by a fine coating of drywall sanding or sawdust needed to be put away or covered. ANYTHING! That means knick-knacks, upholstery, paperwork… you name it.

It was an impressive "TO DO" list!

I set about completing the task before us. All the available packing boxes I had were quickly filled. I retrieved more, and my husband filled those. The space under my grand piano was wall-to-wall cardboard. And we had barely scratched the surface!

An unmistakable reminder came from a recent Bible study in Matthew: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

There's a lot of "treasures" we enjoy in our home. We don't NEED everything we own by a long stretch, but they are nice to have around. Some are precious family heirlooms, precious not in price, but because of the family they represent. Other "treasures" were created by my kids as they are growing up. It seemed to me, though, as I packed and stacked and packed more and MORE boxes, that we had WAY too many possessions… an almost embarrassing number, in fact.

My prayer this month is that I will keep a curb on my spending as a re-evaluate what we NEED vs what we WANT. And then when the dust settles and the debris is cleared away, I pray that I will look on my niceties with fresh and grateful eyes. And as I cultivate a thankful heart, I pray I will pass along the "attitude of gratitude" to my children, too…