Downsizing

As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind? (Ecclesiastes 5:16)

There's a lot of talk these days about downsizing, about getting rid of things and maybe even moving to a smaller house. Usually when I hear such talk, it's among those whose children have moved out or those whose health challenges are causing them to make lifestyle choices. Earlier in life, we seem to be focused on accumulating, thinking that somehow more "stuff" will equate to a better life.

When we moved this last time, we had more time than we'd ever had before to sort through our possessions. The past two moves had been so quick we had basically thrown everything into boxes and promised to sort it later...which we never did. This time, we got rid of a LOT of stuff. (You're welcome, Portage First rummage sale!) And yet, when we began to unpack boxes in our new home, we discovered we still had a LOT of stuff. (Which means we had WAY too much stuff to begin with.) Where did it all come from? Why did we buy this or that? Why have we accumulated so much?

The Teacher reminds us that accumulation, as much as we think it's the name of the game, does us no good in the long run. The Teacher laments the power money seems to have over us and reminds us that we can only take out of this world what we have brought in...and that is nothing but ourselves, our souls. "Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands" (5:15).

Yesterday, I had the privilege to sit and chat with a member of our church who has lived a long life. And not once did she show me her accumulations or her possessions. In fact, she has very little at this point in her life because, she says, she needs very little. What she told me about was her family, her husband whom she still misses every day, and her God who has been so very good to her. I lost track of how many times she told me God has been good to her. As is usually the case in such conversations, I went as the "religious professional" to bless her but found that I was the one who was  most blessed.

The Teacher is right. What we have doesn't matter in the end. We would all do well to downsize from time to time because none of what we have will go with us. Accumulations are a chasing after the wind. Better we spend our time and energy recognizing God's work in our lives, celebrating his goodness and sharing that with others.