He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of
salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this
treasure. Isaiah 33:6 NIV
It happened again. I turned the newspaper page to an article
on a new self-storage facility coming to town. Several storage units have been
built in my area recently. Now, a bigger and better one was scheduled for a Grand Opening.
What is there about self-storage units that appeal to us,
and why are there so many? Is it place to store valuables, excess that doesn’t
fit in our house or apartment, things we don’t use, but can’t part with? I used
a storage unit to de-clutter my house and stage it for prospective buyers for a
more appealing look. It worked.
It was amazing how much I could live with…and without.
In Matthew 6:6 (NIV) we read, “But when you pray,
go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then
your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Houses in Bible times had the original
open concept - no doors to separate rooms - with one exception. In this
passage, the room had a door. It was the place to store valuables.
In the KJV translation, we read “enter
into your “closet”. I recently had shelves put into a closet so I could
eliminate clutter, discard some things, and arrange what I really needed. I
appreciate the organization and simplicity.
Either way - a room or a closet - we need a place of quiet,
away from clutter, where we can pray and hear God speak. He shows us His
treasures. In His quiet presence, we de-clutter our self-storage that represents the accumulation of the unnecessary or the
undesirable. We receive God- treasures
personally designed for us: wisdom for decisions, peace in anxiety, compassion
in struggles, a word for the moment.
Pam's prayer parlor
Each time we meet, we experience a Grand Re-Opening, and His reward comes.
He shows us what we need, and His resources to supply. We eliminate the clutter
from our lives, reorganize, discard, and find valuables in our new space.
There are some things we can’t live without. His treasures -
those we find in that quiet room alone - are some of them.
Do you have a quiet place? What treasures have you found as
you de-cluttered in your quiet place?
Share your valuables with us.
My family immigrated to the United States in the early
1900’s. When they disembarked from their ships, they too recognized it was a
new day for them and for their future family. They had no idea what the future
held, but they were optimistic it would be better than the life they left
behind. They were courageous and strong in the face of many obstacles. I admire
their courage leaving familiarity to come to the unknown. They experienced
discrimination because of their ethnic identity, faced a language barrier but
persevered, worked hard, and left a legacy and heritage to cherish.
