Stuff- or not.....

Yesterday was "Black Friday". Millions around the country camped out-literally for hours sometimes a span of 24 hours or more- to get the best deal on everything from TVs to pajamas. For many years I did not participate in this oh so sacred shopping day- but several years ago,I too began to peruse the Thanksgiving day ads- and began to be drawn in to the "deals" that I saw! Last year...I became "one of them". I found myself standing in line - in the dark - in the cold - at Best Buy with hundreds of other eager shoppers. Sixty minutes later, I left the store with my shopping cart full.... of things I did not have any intention of buying... things I did not need...things that called for an hour or more of rebate clipping and snipping and sending each to "save" even more money! The next day- I took almost all of it back to where it came from. What happened? I had gotten swept up into the moment of excitement and synergy. If the person next to me had it - and it was a good deal- then surely I needed that "mini- dvd player, video web cam combo"... and after all- they offered to save my place in line for me while I dashed back for one more SD card or DVD... if I snagged one or two more for them! It was fun... it was exciting... it was exhilarating... it was exhausting... it was not for me! I know many families enjoy this day for many reasons- it is akin to those who gather at the deer camp and plan their hunt. There is strategy, planning and reconnaissance. For many it is the best day of the year! I am oky with that- and happy for them...but for me this year- I chose not to go. Not that I did not consider it- and not that I was not drawn to a few of the shiny sparkly ads that promised me the opportunity to "SAVE"!! This year I chose not to be drawn in. Instead, I went to the gym and worked out for an hour... then met a good friend for coffee. The rest of the day was spent sorting and cleaning my home office. A box of unwanted "stuff" was packed away for next years garage sale. My office is clean-and my desk has been freed of the clutter that has overwhelmed it for the last month. I am happy. I am writing today because I have cleared at least some of the clutter from my life. I did not buy more stuff. I do not have to return anything today that I don't want or need. This one small decision and the resulting peace it has given me- is amazing. It gave me a little more room in my life for what matters. This is good. We- my husband and I are in the process of simplifying our life - less stuff - more of what matters. This shift in our thinking has been coming for several years and it most often must be a deliberate choice not to fill our lives with more stuff and the accumulation of more things. More people- less stuff. It allows more room for God to move in our lives and use us if He does not have to push so much of our stuff out of the way. I want more of God and less of me. This is even better than good.