Gone are the days of the “back bundle.” The time of when a man or a woman could carry all their belongings on their backs and move from one hunting ground to the next with relative ease. Do you remember those days? I don’t think so! Or maybe you were a skillful hiker and could pack all your stuff into a manageable backpack. I never could. I need my stuff.

We have become a people of stuff, lots of stuff. This fact has been brought home to me this week as I help to prepare for the church’s annual fundraising Super Sale. The church hall is chocked full of every imaginable thing and some that you couldn’t imagine!

All items that people no longer need or never needed in the first place. And Saturday, we will be flooded (hopefully) with people looking to buy those things to add to their stuff. Some will bring it back again to next year’s sale.

Stuff. Where does this need come from? Why do I have about 20 pairs of scissors in my house to use for all kinds of activities? Is it because in my childhood home, we had only one pair of scissors that my mother guarded like a fierce warrior? No cutting paper! No cutting wire or hair. She kept them hidden and they were brought out only to use when we were sewing. I won’t go into the scotch tape story.

In the last few weeks during the Penitential Rite, I have been struck by one phrase in particular: We have been captivated by our possessions. So true! This captivation gets in the way of my relationship with God. The acquisition and management of my stuff keeps me from spending time in conversation with God. It clutters up my life.

I’m not going to give everything away tomorrow, although I did give some stuff to the Sale. I will keep a few scissors to cut paper and cardboard. I do intend to be more mindful of my acquisitions and their use. And I will remember, as I urge you to do, that God loves us unconditionally no matter how much or how little stuff we have.

Terri