Disposal or Release? What Cleaning Out My Closet Taught Me About Stewardship
I never thought a closet would be the place the Lord got my attention, but here we are.
Let me back up. I was on a financial call recently, talking about how to steward our money better. Somewhere in the middle of it, the Lord really impressed something on my heart. Stewardship is not just about money. It is about everything He has put in our hands.
So I came home and started a project. I made a list of every room in my house, and I am going through it one room at a time, asking Him the same question in each one. Where can I steward things better in here?
Right now, He has me in my bedroom. And the answer, at least for this first round, has been very practical. It started with my closet.
I have beautiful clothes hanging in there that I do not wear anymore. I am not in the same field of work that I used to be in, so those clothes just sit there. They are in great shape. They are usable and good. But I am not using them, and the Lord has been so gentle and so clear about it. If it is good and it is usable, but you are not using it well, give it away. Release it to someone who can use it and who may really need it in this season of their life.
Then there was the shoe bucket. Friends, I had about ten pairs of flip flops in there that I probably had not worn in years. Some of them were busted. Just worn out, not useful to anybody anymore.
That is when a question came up that I have been asking ever since. Is this a disposal or is this a release?
A disposal is something that has outlived its usefulness. It has done its job, and it is time to throw it away the right way. A release is something that is still good and still has value, but it needs to be in someone else's hands. Going through my closet, I found out I had plenty of both.
And here is the part that got me. The things sitting in that closet were not doing anybody any good. Not me, and not the person who could have been wearing them.
I know this has been mostly a material thing so far. But I have a feeling the Lord is going to take this much deeper than my bedroom, and I cannot wait to share that with you.
This is actually a lot like what happened with Hatteras House. That story was good, and it was ready, and it sat for a long time because I was afraid. Once I finally released it, I started hearing from readers who said it was touching their lives. I keep thinking about that when I look at my closet. Some things are meant to be released so they can be used by somebody who needs them.
Grab your copy of Hatteras House on Amazon
Learning what to hold onto and what to let go of is a big part of what is coming next, too. In Weathering the Storm, Matt and Laura Garrison are still learning how to move forward after Matt's PTSD diagnosis. Matt is working toward healing and rebuilding the trust that trauma nearly destroyed, and Laura is carrying the weight of loving someone who is still fighting battles she cannot see. They are finding out that healing is not a straight path, it is a daily choice. I will be sharing more about this book soon.
If you want to go on this stewardship journey with me, come follow along on Instagram. I will be sharing what the Lord shows me room by room, and I would love to hear what He is showing you.
So here is my question for you today. Is there something in your home that is a release, just waiting for the right person? And is there something that is really a disposal, and it is time to let it go? Either way, friend, He will walk through it with you.
