{"id":89,"date":"2011-01-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-01-04T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/fearofwhales\/2011\/01\/storage-unit-ii.html"},"modified":"2011-06-23T09:18:57","modified_gmt":"2011-06-23T13:18:57","slug":"storage-unit-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/fearofwhales\/2011\/01\/storage-unit-ii.html","title":{"rendered":"Storage Unit II"},"content":{"rendered":"

I wrote previously<\/a> about my thoughts as I moved my few worldly possessions into a storage unit. I want to take a post and talk about the conclusion to those thoughts<\/p>\n

At the time I questioned the impulse to keep things and wondered if I might be being materialistic. On the other hand I thought I might be finally getting a permanent home shortly, and didn\u2019t want to do anything rash. Here\u2019s how the story ends.<\/p>\n

I was right. After I arrived in Kansas I was offered a fully furnished private basement apartment. All of my fear of perpetual transition, and my willingness to live as a vagabond were proved unwarranted and unnecessary.<\/p>\n

But I was also right that I was being materialistic. There\u2019s very little doubt in my mind now what I should have done \u201csell everything and follow\u201d
\nI\u2019d keep what I used daily to live, a few changes of clothes, and a couple irreplaceable things like my grandfathers stamp collection, nothing that wouldn\u2019t fit in the back of my car.<\/p>\n

I know that sounds radical. That\u2019s because it is. But I don\u2019t think it\u2019s radical in a bad way<\/p>\n

At the time I was willing to leave everything, but I thought that would mean giving up hope of a home as a \u201cplace to put stuff\u201d. And I thought doing that\u2026 pushed it. I wanted to be sure that God had called me to that before I became another weird Christian who was glorifying homelessness for no reason in particular.<\/p>\n

What I never considered in this ridiculously overzealous hyper intellectualized brain of mine was the possibility that God might provide<\/em>.
\nThat perhaps I wouldn\u2019t need dishes, not because I\u2019d never get my own kitchen, but because there would be an old couple in Kansas that would give me dishes.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m still learning the voice of God, and I\u2019m confident now that impulse was it. If I\u2019d listened to it I\u2019d have saved $140 in storage payments made money instead. It would have taken me no more time then moving 3 times did, and caught the attention of people in Cali, probably helping our fundraising efforts (I know I\u2019d me more likely to support a missionary if I happened to know he sold everything to give)<\/p>\n

As it stands I still have a reasonably happy ending. God\u2019s good, I\u2019m home and this way I get to keep my stuff. But I have way more than I need, and I believe there are blessings I\u2019m missing out on because I failed to trust.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s to doing better next time!<\/p>\n

May you listen to the righteous impulses you don\u2019t yet understand in your lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I wrote previously about my thoughts as I moved my few worldly possessions into a storage unit. I want to take a post and talk about the conclusion to those thoughts At the time I questioned the impulse to keep things and wondered if I might be being materialistic. 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