Ecc. 3 Continued

A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away. Ecc. 3:6 NASB

My experience has been this: throwing away is generally not pleasant.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a "get rid of" gal from way back. I often enjoy sorting and throwing. I read Anne Ortlund's book, Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman, quite some time ago and was encouraged to "eliminate and concentrate". I've never looked back.

For instance -- one of my all time favorite birthday gifts was a box of clear plastic garbage bags and the guarantee that the following Saturday a dump truck would arrive at my house to collect all the garbage I could muster. I attacked, with vigor, attics and barns and closets. Several trips to the dump with nearly 2,000 lbs. of "excess stuff" made me one ecstatic woman!

Still, throwing out calls for ruthlessness. It is not accomplished without some agonizing. After all, the disposal of items rarely makes everyone happy. If it wasn't me wrestling with parting ways with something, someone else was. Stuff. It can claim our hearts.

So can relationships. Yup, relationships. Sometimes we need to let go of certain people and friendships. We have limited time and energy which means careful use of such commodities. Some our "people investment" may not be yielding Kingdom fruit. We need to be fruit inspectors, even in our relationships. Agonizing, isn't it?

A fresh challenge to review belongings and investments is always good. If I am honest about it all, I find out quickly that it is hard. Nonetheless, it is good. Am I attached to this thing, this relationship? If Jesus asked me to walk away today, would I do so? Can I leave it all behind: parents, houses, family, stuff?

Nothing has claim on my heart like He does. The rest is secondary. He is my all in all. Now to live like it.