Losing Weight

Often, we head into a New Year, or a new season of the year, resolved to live healthier.  For many that means a regimented exercise routine and a rationed-out diet of food.  The goal is to lose the weight that is so easily gained in undisciplined eating and lifestyle habits.  For me, this year, it means something altogether different, yet curiously similar. 

I have expressed elsewhere that New Year’s resolutions have never been helpful for me.  Instead I try to characterize the year with certain qualities or attributes that might shape the minutes and moments of coming months. 

The shape of this year…                 Simple

                                            Slow

  Still

However, to be effective, these need movement; hand to plow action steps. 

I have always been a bit of a keeper of stuff; a collector if you will.  Not a hoarder by any means.  That word has taken on new meaning since being popularized by network television.  I do not wrestle with the demons those featured folks do.  Yet, as I have always said, comparisons aren’t helpful, so I will admit to wrestling with some combination of nostalgia and “just in case I need it” syndrome.

Glancing around our family living space anyone might quickly notice that we are blessed…richly.  Not only have we been given plenty over the years.  As well, we have bought plenty.  And some of that “plenty” sits in bins in the attic, top shelves of kitchen cabinets, backs of closets, or corners of the garage.

Like dust that wisps away from regularly traveled house paths and gathers under sofas and desks and tables, so does the “plenty” – the extra set of dishes, the old books, the outdated accessories, the craft kits, the mill-end-cut-offs in the wood shop – so does the “plenty” of these days we live get wisped aside amidst the flurry of new or better or another for the “just in case I need it” moment.   

All these things that have been wisped aside

gather up then in heaps and mounds,

mass and pounds,

slung over our shoulder and carried along

through life

with barely a nod or a notice

that it’s all there;

barely a glimpse or a glance

that we bear in us

and on us

the burden

of an extra

measure

of

weight. 

Late last year I was reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 to not store up for ourselves treasures on this planet where earth’s elements take their toll, corroding and corrupting them.  Rather, Jesus says, store up treasures in heaven.  Why? 

Well, not merely because heaven is a place of incorruptibility and treasures there become rewards or inheritance if you will.  But further and greater yet, because wherever our treasures reside, there we will find our hearts; our passions and affections and emotive luring’s.

Back to all the “plenty” stored up, wisped aside and corroding…  Whether we know it or not, our hearts are torn toward it all.  It’s part of the whole treasure, or the gift, that steals our affections away from the Giver.  It all works to keep our heads turned and attentions divided.  It all keeps us wondering and protecting and stowing.  It all keeps us heavy.  It all keeps us weighted down.

So, I decided we need to lose the weight that slows us down from pursuing Jesus with relentless and reckless abandon.  Enter this year long (at least) initiative of Losing Weight.

For the full length and width of 2018 I’m committed to getting rid of something or some things every day, and Amy and the kids are catching on as we go. 

Of course we’re not simply clutching the first thing we see each morning and ousting it.  Rather it’s the “plenty” stuff:  Things we have yet to unpacked after moving three years ago; things that were unpacked, but were tucked away out of mind and out of sight to the point of being forgotten; things that others might use more readily than our family ever will; things that have gathered up as added weight; things that are tiring us out; things that are dragging us down. 

Things we cannot or are not interested

in being present with anymore.

As well, we’re not only filling landfills with any amount of debris.  Everything will land in one of three “G” piles… 

      Given

                                Garage-saled

                                Garbaged

The giveaway’s we will be honored to pass along to worthy and eager receivers.  The garage-saled items will earn money that will be shared between a couple non-profits we support as a family.  And the garbaged will be just that, as in any weight loss initiative, thrown out. 

Now, I’m sure this initiative will flesh out more fully as the year goes by – indeed we’re a third of the way along already – but for sure at least two things were important from the outset:

1.       These are things that we won’t be replacing.  At least no time soon.  The goal is to lose the weight of encumbered stuff.  Not merely replace it or update it.  For example, our fridge went out.  That’s a biggie to get rid of.  But we need a fridge.  So we replaced it.  Not a “Losing Weight” item then.  The picture frames, the Air Jordan’s, the toilet paper, the books…not replacing those.  That’s weight loss!

2.       Do it daily, not all at once.  A couple things here…  First, doing it daily keeps the principle of the initiative fresh and real and vibrant.  It keeps us aware of things.  I’m paying attention now, not only to things I use, but also things I don’t use.  “Daily” keeps me thinking and intentional about the whole idea; it will not be far from me.  Second, doing it daily guards from being reactive in the purge and ending up in a splurge just weeks later.  The idea is not merely to get rid of stuff.  It is to be honest with ourselves and genuinely assess the value of things; giveaway, garage sale, or garbage?  Going little by little allows time for this.  Mass purging usually ends up filling up landfills and perpetuating consumerism and “gaining weight” back.  Slow, paced out, thoughtful, and daily “weight loss” is most often productive and stays the weight.

There are certainly pieces to the whole initiative that aren’t perfect.  No initiative ever is.  You probably have ideas that would be helpful for us in this.  You’re more than welcome to comment below if that is the case.  But at the least it’s an action step that moves in the direction of what characterizes this year – Simple, Slow, Still – and one that will hopefully leave its mark on years to come.