Stuff that's not my Stuff

     Tonight I decided to rearrange my bedroom. I have a secret (or not so secret) interest in interior decorating and design. So as I planned I moved things out of my room to get a better idea as to how I could arrange items. After about an hour and a half; my step dad stops by in no uncertain terms that I am like my mother, a pack rat.
     I think that's partially true. I hold onto things far past their expiration date. I guess you could say it's for the sake of posterity. But usually it's because I think I may need to use it sometime later in the future. But, lets move on.
     As I moved what I thought was the final piece into place I noticed something. I noticed that there was still one more piece of furniture and I was out of space. Why?! Why was I out of space? I had planned and mapped out in my mind how things would work and it didn't. I was frustrated until I realized something that I didn't take into account.
     I was dealing with a shelf, a super old (we're talking 1980's) extra tv, a desk, and a closet full of things that are not mine. Basically stuff that's not my stuff.
     I was trying to fit my things around things that aren't meant to be there. Things that were left behind by others for me to deal with.
     I think that sometimes we try to do this with our lives. I think that we try to take pieces of stuff that others have left behind or their personalities or what we like about them and "fill in" the rest with what we think is good about ourselves. Like a my poorly designed bedroom we create a "bedroom" full of mismatched, conflicting furniture. And you know what, it doesn't fit. It will never feel right. And if it does; it will only be for a short while because who we are will undoubtedly find a way through. And that's a blessing.
     It's a blessing because there's an opportunity for us to clean out all that junk that belongs to other people. We can get rid of it and put us-ourselves in there. We can be us. We are free and God wants us to be ourselves. Not some mixed up, mashed up person. God want us to be ourselves. And we should want that for us.
     So my plan is to clean out the closet and put my stuff and my room. I hope you can do the same.