I have a lot of stuff. I have stuff in my office at church, stuff in my garage, stuff in my home, and stuff crammed in nooks and crannies. Then there is the stuff I have to do to get ready for our move to Alabama as new GSC field personnel; the stuff I must cancel here in Roanoke, VA and the stuff I must set up in Marion for my husband and myself as well as our two sons. “Stuff” is the word I have come to embrace when I am so overwhelmed with all that has to be done, it is the only word that suits. I had a psychology professor in college who believed that “stuff” is a perfect word because it can encompass so many things and thoughts perfectly. I am now inclined to agree. I have a lot of stuff. Stuff to get rid of. Stuff to store. Stuff to take.

Today I cleaned out my office at the church where I have served as Minister of Childhood Education. In the beginning, it was a daunting task. I am never as organized as I would like to be. Albert Einstein once said, “If a clutterd desk signs a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” And I take strange comfort in the words of the genius. As I looked over stuff I have been holding on to, I realized that these trinkets and papers would not be needed anymore. (Who needs an office planner from 2004?!) It was cleansing to my spirit to clean out, filling big bins of trash and papers to recycle.

My husband and I have talked to our two young sons about throwing out, giving away, and keeping. They look through mounds of toys and pull out their favorites to take on our new adventure. They do so cautiously. My oldest son, Aidan, asks for reminders, “We get to keep our favorite things, right?” We walk a balancing act of giving them comfort through the familiar stuff they treasure while trying to instill in them the value of loving people more than things, of treasuring more than just stuff.

In all of my preparations, all of this “stuff,” I am reminded of what Jesus said to Martha as she scurried around her house. She was also busy with stuff; cleaning, meal preparation, etc… Boy, have I been there! She became blinded by all of the stuff she had to do, to the point of becoming frustrated with Mary for sitting around with Jesus. There was still stuff to do! “Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is necessary.”

Only one thing in all of this stuff we muddle through everyday is really necessary. How easy it is to forget. How easy it is to become blinded by the stuff we possess, the stuff we must do, the stuff that consumes our attention. My old job is over and a new one has begun. My desk is clean, but it is no longer mine. Tomorrow, we leave for orientation and training in Birmingham and I leave this stuff that has kept me distracted. I am leaving Martha here and putting on Mary for awhile in order to come closer to that one necessary thing at the feet of Jesus. Now, that’s the stuff true life is made of.