Now, before you screech, “Oh, ick!” allow me to plead my
keeping-the-rat-trap-bank case. It’s displayed prominently in our home office
where we work on ministry. Why? Because it reminds us of the Provider’s care
throughout our missionary years! Perhaps another time I’ll share the whole
story behind it (it’s so worth knowing), but for sake of this blog post I’ll keep
it shorter.
Part of our earlier ministry years were in New York City where Brian
held Bible clubs. One growing Bible club located in the South Bronx had a problem—no
place to meet.
Long story short, permission to use a room was eventually given, but
to get there Brian and the kids needed to cross rubble from a neighboring
building. These kids, however, weren’t deterred—even by the rats!
Yes, rats—plural! But Bible club was life-giving to this group,
so each week they showed up and scattered the rats so they could learn God’s
Word in that answer-to-prayer room!
Brian and I affectionately called this “the rat-smack club” when telling
how God answered prayer for those South Bronx kids! We shared the good news in
pulpits and in our missionary prayer letter.
When we visited one supporting church, they presented us with—tah dah!—the
aforementioned handmade rat trap bank! They also filled it with financial gifts
from the congregation—another answer to prayer at that time.
So, do you see why we cannot throw away this reminder? What’t’do, what’t’do,
what’t’do…
Brian and I were going through items as we death cleaned.
“Who gets the rat trap?” I asked hubby. “It’s meaningful to all our
kids, but who’d want it, and how do we choose?”
Brian smiled. “This is a strange conversation, you understand.”
We laughed! (By the way, we haven’t decided yet, should any of our kids
read this post while sitting on pins’n’needles whispering, “I hope it’s me!”)
Maybe the rat trap bank will be one of those things we leave in our
you-go-through-and-decide baskets. But for now, it continues serving as a reminder
how God cared for us and answered prayer more times than we could count!
You may have mementos like the one I’ve just shared about, although you
may sigh with relief and say, “I’m so glad I don’t own a rat trap bank.”
There are those items your children or friends might love to have—or
might not. Perhaps you can put a note in a you-go-through-and-decide basket
giving your family permission to discard (like you may do with some photos).
Another category that comes close to this, at least in my thinking, are
drawings and crafts our kids and grandkids gave us over the years. These would
fill a sizable basket in and of themselves, had we placed them into one. Here
are a few thoughts what to do about these:
Drawings? No
problem unless there are so many they overfill an album and you wish them smaller.
It’s possible in this day and age to take pictures of them all (or the most
treasured ones) and preserve them as minis or electronically.
Or, maybe do what we
did with our children’s drawings and schoolwork (having only saved choice
items). Give them back to them to treasure. (We’ve hung onto grandkid ones for
now though. We’re not that cold hearted—smile!)
We also returned
the crafts our kids made for us many moons ago. Their spouses enjoyed seeing
those, much to their mates’ chagrin.
Christmas ornaments each family member collected were gifted back to
them when they began their own homes and families. Our single son has his in a
special box. Oh, going back to photos, we also gifted all our kids with a decorative
box of them as a Christmas gift one year, reducing the amount they’ll need to
go through here by the hundreds.
“What
about collections?” you may ask.
I used
to collect lighthouses and colored glass bottles. My collections weren’t huge,
but I decided some years back to let the glass bottles go and only keep a few
very small lighthouses that family gave me.
If
you’re death cleaning and an avid collector, you might want to downsize
collections. I have a friend who’s collected angels over the decades. She just adores
them, so I know it could be hard for her to let these go. But, if you’re
a brave soul, could you…
…gift one item each to family
members and close friends before you die or designate with a note to whom you
wish it be given?
Or donate your
collection to nursing, Veterans’, or children’s homes where these type items
will be treasured? This is true of custom jewelry too. (Nursing homes, for
example, love these type things to use as gifts or prizes for their residents.)
Or can you take a keepsake
photo of your collection, pick out only a handful to keep, and sell the rest?
One thing you probably shouldn’t do once you’re a very seasoned citizen
is enlarge your collection. Instead of buying more, can you just admire them,
window shop, or live with a photo of the item? Would it help to tell family
members and friends (who might gift you with more) that you are blessed with
enough now? (They’ll likely respect your wishes about this.)
One
item I treasure and deeply respect is our dad’s folded flag, given to my sister
at his funeral. She passed it on to me, and we’ve agreed it will be gifted to the
one who made Brian and I grandparents. Some things are just too important and
special to let go out of one’s family circle.
What
about Bibles—those large family ones and those left by parents, grandparents,
and beyond? Sadly, according to The Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, most
of these don’t find a future home. That shocked me as I can’t believe The Word
wouldn’t be treasured by all. But if it’s not, what will you do with old
Bibles—particularly disintegrating ones in the attic?
I
wanted to honor God with these, but many fell apart when I handled them, even
carefully. I discovered, though, that these old Bibles held family history. You’ll
want to preserve those notes by either copying them or keeping those pages and
putting them into protective sleeves. One of my grandmas kept all family newspaper
obituaries in between her Bible pages. I took those out, saved them for our
children, and gave the Bible to our firstborn.
If you
married a preacher, missionary, or Bible scholar or you are one, you probably
have at least one shelf full of Bibles. Right? In our most recent death
cleaning step, we decided to give some of those Bibles new homes. After all,
wouldn’t it be better if they were being read?
In
conclusion, may I tell you I realize parting with precious items can be hard
and even bring tears. But foremost in your mind and heart, when deciding what
to do, ask yourself, “What’s most important? What lasts?”
Eternity lasts! All that’s here and now passes away. If
you keep the forever goal in mind, you’ll find, as you death clean, the items
you’ve held onto begin to lose their grip.
It’s eternity
that matters. Reader, may you focus on Heaven—the ultimate prize! And, should
you choose to death clean, may you find joy while doing that part of life’s
journey!
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
O soul, are you weary and troubled? No
light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior, and
life more abundant and free!
Refrain: Turn your eyes
upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow
strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
Thro’ death into life everlasting, He
passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion—for more
than conqu’rors we are! (Refrain)
His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying, His
perfect salvation to tell! (Refrain)
(from the hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon
Jesus, by Helen Howarth Lemmel, 1922, public domain)
#deathcleaning #rattrap #treasures
#collections #keepsakes #childrensart
#Bibles #remindersofGodsprovisions #temporalthings
#eternity
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