Camping, Clutter and Throw-Away Thursdays

There are two types of people - those who enjoy camping and those who hate camping. Just about as polarized as those who love sauerkraut and those who hate it. (I have not checked the stats to see of those who hate sauerkraut love to go camping or not.)  Most of our church family loves camping indicated by the majority of our church signed up for the All Church Family Camp this weekend.

Camping has its degrees of difficulty and comfort. Spending a week in the Boundary Waters and spending a week at a modern campground are two different styles of camping. We are doing the “wimpy” camping. The campground we will be at has electric hookups at each site, showers, AND flush toilets.

So the 37 of us will pack up our gear and head north this Friday.
Gear.
The more the merrier.
Me to my wife, “Honey, should I bring the blow dryer?”
“Dear, you are balding and you do not have a single hair over 1/2 “ long.”
My reply, “I will keep it out just in case.”

When we head into the Boundary Waters it is difficult to pack light knowing that packing heavy is an issue by the third portage. “Honey, I am going to leave the Lazy Boy by this rock here and we will pick it up on the way home.”

I read an article about a person wishing to simplify their life and reduce some of the “stuff” that is cluttering their world. They established “Throw-away Thursdays”. Every Thursday, they would find something they were no longer using and either sell it, give it to a local good will shelf, or recycle it.

I am haphazardly trying out “Throw-away Thursday’s” in my life. Today, I will look in the closet and see a number of shirts and pants that I rarely wear. I will look in our garage and see items rarely used. I will go to the basement and see a year of “Throw-away Thursday” possibilities.

There is something freeing and liberating that happens when I find a new home for stuff that is clutter that is often in the way, taking up space and rarely used.

“Honey, let’s not bring the recliner to camp this year. I will bring it to Good Will.”
Passing it on.

Colossians 3:1-2
 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

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