At first I objected to getting rid of them because I remembered how special they had been. Of course, I know they cannot last forever. No toy does. Neither does furniture. They are not designed to last forever. They do not last. They are like everything else in this world. They have a limited shelf life.
As I thought about it, I realized the memories were not so much about the items themselves. It was what they represented: good times with family and friends. I did not mind getting rid of the things so much when it dawned on me I would always have my family. My kids are grown and their grandparents are getting old. Now my wife and I have grandchildren. We are buying toys that will be thrown out someday. But our family will be together forever. That is the special blessing for those of us that believe in Jesus. He died so we could live. Forever. My family believes that.
Cleaning out the garage reminded me of what does – and what does not – last forever. It reminded me of what is – and is not – really important. It helped me to remember to focus on what matters. If you would like to know about families that last forever, I can help you. If you want to know that you will last forever, I would enjoy visiting with you. You are not junk. You are special, and you can know that. Write me at steve@hopeforlife.org or join the blog discussion at www.hopeforlife.org.
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