The Trial of the Boxes

A few posts ago I shared my 30 for 30 goals for 2016.  I had many hopes at the end of last year to start 2016 with a bang. Fresh, new and organized!

By nature I love to plan. I am not sure why I do it, because nine times out of ten my 'plans' never materialize the way I had hoped!  Of course this 'new year challenge' would be no different.

On Jan 15, I was supposed to move. By the grace of God we bought a new home and the closing would be the 15th.  Weeks leading up I had prepped, cleaned, packed and was organized to the tee.  All ready for the transition to be smooth.

The much awaited, anticipated closing date came...and went! Due to the buyers complications we weren't able to close that day.  First we were told Monday, then Tuesday, then the following Friday and if things couldn't get any worse, we had to wait to the following Monday! 

If anyone of you have ever experienced a closing before, you know that the house has to be cleaned, packed and emptied on the closing day. So that's what we did.  Only to have to move all our things back in(I cringe thinking of it).  We couldn't move into our new home until our old home closed, which left us living out of boxes and on the floor for 2  weeks!

Talk about 1st world problems. Albeit 1st world issues, it was enough to cause stress and frustration for this Momma.
For two weeks I couldn't find anything.  My life was in disarray. All furniture was packed into our first floor, leaving us no where to sit besides the matress on the floor.  Wipes and bibs for my son were no where to be found.  Not to mention pots and kitchenware were hidden among the boxes.

It was during this 'trial' that  God really revealed some amazing things to me.
Being that my home wasn't set up, I had tons of spare time to read, pray, follow up and just play with my kids.

Having my precious things in boxes forced me to live minimalistic life and  emotionally separated me from my 'stuff'. With it out of sight... it was truly out of mind and at that moment, I could have thrown it all out and gone off to be a missionary some where.

With our living situation in the air on a day to day basis and the roller coaster ride of emotions that come with the yoyo closing dates, I was forced to trust God and focus on what really matters!

Oddly my prayers were not surrounded by God make this house close or the details regarding that (though I did pray briefly)but I found myself praying for souls and Gods kingdoms to be established.

The trial of the boxes gave me a whole new perspective and even showed me how we can idolize good things. Like cleaning our homes, being good wives and moms.  Our biggest desires can shift from pleasing God and doing his will, to doing what we think is pleasing and his will.

Now, here I am a week later all settled into my new home, but the box experience left such a impression on me, that though my routines are back, my focus is still Jesus.

Having nice things or a nice home aren't wrong at all, the issue is when the things or home has you!  Do the material things in your life have your heart? Could you leave them, throw them away, or go without them?

I challenge you today to get rid of some things you really love in your life. If it's difficult for you, that a very good indicator that it might be time to let some things go, so you can let God in :)