Contentment in the Home - the Empty Spaces Edition

Twenty years ago, I couldn't imagine having empty space in my apartment. Not that I had huge amounts of stuff, but if there was an empty shelf on the bookcase, it wasn't long before it got filled with books. The closet was full, not stuffed, but no place for anything additional that I bought. The same with the shelves in the linen closet and kitchen cabinets. I was quite satisfied that I had enough in my home, and if it was a bit more than enough, that was okay too.

Fast forward to 2009, and I am on a mission to see more empty spaces in my home. With my small kitchen, I may not have a completely empty shelf in any of the cabinets, but by golly, there is empty space between items. It's not crammed with housewares I never use, and there are few food items in the pantry that are 6 months or older. (Yes, I do check expiration dates!) The bookcases are no longer crammed with books that won't get read; 1 shelf just has picture frames and another is only half full. And I'm constantly purging here and there as I get the time. My most recent project: Cleaning out the large microwave stand, putting the small appliances stored there in the pantry. By having them closer to the counters, I find I am using them more instead of them collecting dust for 4-5 months before their next appearance. Hopefully I can find a smaller stand for the microwave at a yard sale this summer and get rid of this big one, gaining a bit more room in the kitchen in the process. (This is also making me go through the cookbooks stored on the stand. Hopefully I'll find either some new recipes to try, some old favorites I forgot about or will be able to pass the book onto someone else to enjoy.)

My kids have even caught the "empty spaces" bug. Several years ago, DS went through his toys and got rid of probably 80% of his things for a yard sale, and he just sold the majority of his remaining toys last fall. DD has been evolving in her room too, going for a more "grown up" atmosphere more befitting a teenage girl. Gone are the Barbies and baby dolls; a few have been put away for her kids, but most went to Goodwill. Gone are the half-done craft projects that she knew she would never finish. Both kids have gotten rid of so much stuff, that they now have plenty of empty space in their rooms to walk, to have friends over and to consolidate so their rooms feel bigger and more tranquil. They've decided the stress of too much stuff and a constantly messy room (because they are too overwhelmed to know where to start picking up!) aren't worth it. As a consequence, DD is able to find her Bible and devotion book every night instead of them getting buried under who-knows-what. DS is able to spread out when a friend comes over and play his 3-hour-long games in his room, instead of having to shove other stuff aside. They are both much happier.

You see, I don't want my home so filled with stuff that there is no space for family, friends or the Holy Spirit. I don't want to be embarrassed at the condition of my home if someone drops by unexpectedly, and I don't want to be so consumed with a cleaning to-do list that I no longer hear or feel the nudging of the Spirit to do something else. With empty spaces, I feel like my home is large enough for us, that we're blessed to be able to have more house than we need. With empty spaces, I can see what is truly important to me and my family, what we need and what we love. Besides, after all, the space is not truly empty - it's just being filled by Someone much more important than "stuff."