"Now, go tell somebody else."

 

For 35 years I have collected CDs.  Yes, that's since CDs became a thing.  My music collection has always meant a great deal to me.  From a very young age my parents exposed me to music, and there was almost always music going somewhere in my house.  Some of my music tastes hearken back to those days (the 1970's).

As I became old enough to learn how to use my own devices, I started playing my own choices.  Now, when I use the word "devices" I think it's important to understand that included a record player, an 8-track, and a one-speaker clock radio.  High technology for my time.

Once I had a cassette player/recorder, I used to spend hours listening to the radio, ready to hit "RECORD" and turn the cassette player upside down so the small receiver was right against the small speaker when a song I liked came on.  The sound quality, by today's standards, was atrocious.  But I was a poor kid, and just having these devices was an amazing feat for our family.  The tapes I used were the cheapest money could buy, but it enabled me to have and play music I liked, though not "on demand" as our society these days has at their fingertips.

This taught me a lot of patience.  I am thankful for that lesson.  It also taught me the value of money.  But growing up poor and living in scarcity also brought me some character traits that I have had to fight over the last few years.  It really started when I initiated my separation and divorce (yes, that would be #2) in the fall of 2019.  I left a great deal of my personal property and moved into a small apartment with a little storage shed.  I had to trim the fat off my trappings.  Still, my CD collection (though all saved digitally) was important to me.  I kept it, saved my money to be able to buy special containers, and here above you see a picture of it last week...right before I donated 80% of it to the Union Gospel Mission.  Yep, it's almost all gone.  Thousands of dollars and 3+ decades.  I kept only what I wasn't sure I could get digitally either via Spotify (thank you Christopher) or iTunes.

This process of minimalism and emotionally letting-go of property has been a journey over the last few years, and one I am very happy to have taken.  Our things have the power to help us enjoy life, but also chain us emotionally and spiritually.  I have been asking myself for many years now, what do I really need?  What is the difference between a want and a need?  And, and my choices consistent with my values, and how I want to continue to care for our planet?  I have blogged on these topics in the past.  Like all of us, as a human I tend to need to continue to learn the lessons, adjust, and keep moving forward.

I have all I need in this world.  I do enjoy my things, no doubt about it, but I'm so glad I have grown in this area.  Letting go of some things (property) has really helped my peace of mind.  I have good boundaries now concerning questions like, "How much is too much?  How much is enough?  How much is not enough?"  I have been reflecting on these things also while in prayer, and remembering:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:32-34, BSB)

And so on the day I dropped off my CDs at the UGM so they could sell them and make some money to help support their ministry, I shared this story with the guy on the dock.  I felt encouraged to do so.  Once in awhile I open myself up to the promptings of the Holy Spirit...once in awhile.  😊

And he told me he loved hearing that story, and we talked for a few minutes about Jesus' teachings on these things, and then he said: "Now, go tell somebody else."

So I just did.