Regarding Trash and Treasure

As my boys walked down the hallway, their towheads inclined conspiratorially towards each other, I leaned closer from my position behind them to hear what they were saying.

Corban looped his arm around Micah's neck and pulled him closer.

"Micah," he whispered. "If you have anything really special that Mama thinks is trash, you might want to hide it in your dresser."

I smothered a laugh as we rounded the corner into their bedroom. So they weren't buying the claim that I wanted to rearrange their room just to make the most of their space! Yes, this Mama purges her house frequently. Clutter doesn't stand a chance.

And I'm continually amazed that it still finds its way in! No matter how often I clear my desk, papers and baby books and school books and cd's still manage to fill the space nearly the moment I've finished. Drawers in my kitchen collect odd twist ties and clothespins and toothpicks, seemingly by magic!

And that leads us to my sons' room.

Oh, it is a purging Mama's nightmare!
Little boys = legos.
Little boys = tinker toys.
Little boys = Playmobil knights.
Little boys = Lincoln Logs = Cowboys and Indians.

In other words, little boys = clutter.

I am getting better at accepting this fact. Really, I am! But I am definitely not content to let it get out of hand, so once every two months or so, you will find me as general of the troops, kneeling by bins of soldiers and matchbox cars, dumping and tossing and categorizing. The boys get excited with the process, exclaiming how nice the room is looking before we've hardly begun.

This month, we had a whole box of trash to pitch and a couple of larger toys to give away. Toys that only last purge-fest were held in the tight grip of a little boy's hand, his eyes begging me to reconsider. Somehow I knew he would be able to let it go at the next session, and so he was.

After we gazed in satisfaction at the room, sharing high-fives, I released them to play outside while I vacuumed. And curiosity got the better of me.

Would you like to hear what I found in their dresser drawers?

1 broken camera.
7 "gold" treasure coins.
1 handmade treasure map. Of Mexico.
2 knights, housed in a dirty, holey sock.
5 rocks
1 empty Carcassonne expansion box, now holding pictures of Daddy from high school.

Treasures. That my little boys thought I would view as trash. (I probably would have - at the very least, I would have given the knights a more merciful death - trapped in dirty socks? Ew!)

Now lost in thought, I quietly replaced their treasures in the drawer.

Purging is good for the home, and so good for the heart as well. Our Savior's home. It is wise to examine the contents regularly, and to decipher between what is trash and what is treasure; to take the time to ask, what is taking up vauable space that could better house a more noble characteristic? Better yet - What is disguising the good in my life?

[Jesus said,] "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)

In my haste to release those things that are deemed trash in my life, I pray for the wisdom to distinguish it from the treasure.

Let go of laziness, but don't forget to hold onto the part of me that will drop what I'm doing to lay on the floor and read a book with my children.

Let go of the irritation that arises when I'm feeling moody, but don't forget to share with my husband how I'm feeling.

Let go of the obsessive part of my nature regarding housecleaning, but don't forget that order and schedule play a key role in my family's well-being.

Let go of my worry when I think about the near future, but don't forget to meet my Father in prayer over the situation.

The treasures in the midst of the trash are worth holding on to, even though they may not look it - I think I will keep them when next I purge my heart.

And now a distinguished place to store my treasure is in order - perhaps the place of honor in a little boy's underwear drawer, alongside some stinky knights and a map?

Yes, I think that will do very nicely.

You are always welcome at my little place - A Path Made Straight