"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 neither moth or rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ~Matthew 6:19
Moving ~ it is quite a process. Whenever we have stayed put for any length of time we accumulate things ~ stuff. We are currently preparing to sell our home of 29 years and move to a new house. As we sort through all the stuff ~ household items, furniture, children’s art projects, and so much more ~ it feels both cathartic and painful. Cathartic in that it feels good to purge our home of clutter and there is a sense of release or freedom. Painful in that many items hold special memories, and within those memories live emotion.
Closing one chapter of life and opening up the next is exciting, exhausting, and a bit terrifying. Hearts are tender as we dust the piano keys one last time and later stumble upon a photo when we were young and our babies were fresh and new. Sifting through the tubs and boxes, I am reminded that there is not one brand of Grief. We can grieve the loss of a beloved family member or friend, the loss of our health, the loss of a career or opportunity, the loss of a marriage or relationship, the loss of a season of life, etc. It is important for us to remember that one person’s grief journey is not less than or less painful than someone else’s. Honoring our grief and allowing it to do the work that needs to be done in our heart, mind, and spirit is actually a necessary part of healing. We never move on; instead, we move forward in our own way. There is no timetable or schedule ~ grief is not linear, neat, or tidy. It is messy ~ moving back and forth through common stopping points.
So for this day my stopping point is to pause, to look at the memories and emotions that live in our home. Some are funny, some sad, some joyous, some painful. Grief is a harsh teacher but the lessons learned are part of the human condition here on earth. We cannot cling too tightly to our material possessions, memories, and even the people we dearly love. Each are temporal. Yet it is possible to hold Joy in one hand and Sorrow in the other. Sorrow in the ending of a beautiful, well-loved season of life, and Joy in the expectancy of what might lie ahead. This we can know with certainty ~ we do not begin a new chapter alone ~ Jesus Christ is the author of our stories and He walks beside us every step of the journey.