Fear, Waste, and Generosity

Danielle King / Webmaster and Database Administrator

Photo by Jasmin Schreiber on Unsplash

In the past, I have had a hard time getting rid of things. Yes, sometimes items can be sentimental, but a vast majority of the time, I keep things just because I might need it or want it one day in the future, either for myself or for someone else. Getting rid of it right now could be a wasted opportunity. Even bagging everything up and dropping it at a donation center sometimes feels lazy, unintentional, and risky - would my items find their way to people who wanted them? Would they sit and get broken waiting to be picked up and delivered to a sorting center? How much would just get thrown away? Sure I'd be successful in decluttering, but it would feel so wasteful.

Stick with me, but when I was thinking this over, I was led to this passage in the Bible:

Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. (John 6:11-13)

When Jesus fed the thousands, he was generous, but not wasteful. He provided what the people needed, and even let them take "as much as they wanted" which implies, to me, was more than they even needed. So much so, that they couldn't eat all that they took (sounds like their "eyes were bigger than their stomachs"!). Jesus didn't waste the extras either; the extra pieces here and there were brought together to fill twelves baskets.

Our goal is always to be like Jesus. To be generous like Him, I had to figure out how to let things go. Two major changes happened in my heart to lead me on the path of freedom.

First, it was trusting in God's generosity. The spark was the choice to let go of all of the infant and children's items we were holding on to in case our family grew. I think it's something many of us do, and it's not necessarily unwise. But I thought back to how many times God had provided exactly what we needed for our kids, and often in abundance. One time in particular, I knew my oldest daughter needed some clothes when our budget was tight, and that week a bag of clothes was sent from my sister-in-law in North Carolina who just happened to be at a consignment sale and picked out several items for her. She had no idea how perfectly timed her "spontaneous" gift was! Many memories like this one remind me of God's faithfulness and generosity, and led me to let go of my fears and our "just in case" bins in the attic. That freedom has spread to every category of "stuff" we own - I believe God has been and will be our provider, and even a generous one.

Secondly, I had to confront the waste. This has become easier as I've found more ways to give intentionally. I've learned about more organizations that have tangible and immediate needs - donations that I know without a doubt will not go to waste. I've also joined a local "Buy Nothing" group that lets me see what my neighbors are looking for and meet their needs (and wants!). I can even post a photo of puzzle we have, an extra vase, or Paw Patrol slippers, and my neighbors can comment that it's something they would use! Some people have pointed out that some of the things I give away could be sold online or saved for a garage sale, and they are right... but my goal is not making money, it's getting rid of things I don't need and knowing they are being useful to someone else. Nothing feels like it's being wasted or thrown away.

Being like Jesus in this way, generous and not wasteful, is certainly more work. But if you ask my friends and family, you'll know I have celebrated every bin, box and item that's gone out of our home because it's simultaneously blessed us and others. Others have been given something they need, and I've stepped deeper into trusting in God's provision for us. Now before you all think my family lives as minimalists, I'll remind you that we have a smaller home and three young kids - there's still a lot of stuff! But that's part of the point: we have what we need, and so much more, and if we don't, we'll trust in God to find a way. My fear of not having enough is no longer keeping me from being intentionally generous like Jesus.