Letting Go and Holding On

Summary

Marcia Lee Laycock recounts the emotional journey of downsizing her family home, confronting her pack-rat tendencies, and rediscovering her faith in Jesus Christ amidst the loss of familiar possessions.

Abstract

Marcia Lee Laycock shares her personal struggle with decluttering and downsizing her home, a process that was both physically and emotionally challenging due to her attachment to her belongings. Her daughter Laura's enthusiasm for minimalism and the necessity of moving to a smaller house forced Marcia to confront her hoarding habits. The turning point came when she couldn't find her favorite, albeit broken, potato peeler, which had been discarded by Laura. This incident highlighted Marcia's over-attachment to material things and prompted a spiritual awakening. She recognized the need to reorganize not just her home but also her heart, to let go of earthly treasures and hold onto her faith in Jesus Christ, as advised in the Gospel of Matthew. Marcia invites readers to join her in this journey of prioritizing spiritual over material wealth.

Opinions

Marcia initially resented and resisted the changes brought about by the decision to sell her home and downsize.
She admits to being a packrat and holding onto things too tightly, finding comfort in her cluttered environment.
Laura's minimalist approach to decluttering was seen as overly enthusiastic and contributed to Marcia's sense of loss and disruption in her home.
The loss of a favorite, though broken, potato peeler symbolized the broader emotional struggle Marcia faced with letting go of possessions.
Marcia acknowledges that her identity had become too wrapped up in her home and belongings rather than in her faith.
She advocates for a shift in focus from accumulating earthly treasures to embracing spiritual values and holding onto faith in Jesus Christ.

Not easy for a pack-rat

When we made the decision to sell our home our middle daughter, Laura, was living with us. She had come home from Bangladesh where she’d worked with a mission group for a year. She was excited when she realized we would have to pare down our belongings. Every day she would ask, “What room can I de-clutter now, Mom?” She’d grin at me. I didn’t grin back. I would remind her we had six months before we had to move. She’d laugh and remind me that we were moving from a five bedroom into a two-bedroom house. It was like a cold cup of water — thrown in my face!

But it was reality. My husband had convinced me to follow the advice of the realtors and renovate our home before putting it on the market. We tore down and built up, we ripped out and replaced. We even bought new furniture. The process was not easy for me. I resented and resisted all these changes. I confess I am a packrat and I tend to hold onto things a little too tightly. I had a hard time letting go. I felt safe and comfortable in the midst of my clutter, my own little nest, surrounded by all my things.

And Laura, dear minimalist that she is, set about enthusiastically deciding what had to go. The problem was, she was a little too enthusiastic and my husband was cheering her on! For the next few months there was a litany that sounded in our house. “Laura, what did you do with… Laura, you didn’t throw that away, did you?”

Then came the day I couldn’t find my favourite potato peeler. I didn’t care that the handle was cracked, it was my favourite! Laura had thrown it away. And I was upset. In fact I was downright angry. The potato peeler was the proverbial last straw. Nothing in my house was the same anymore. It didn’t feel like my home, my nest. It had been disrupted and I was disturbed.

I realized that day that I’d forgotten something. My reaction was disproportionate to what was happening. I told myself that it was only stuff, that I shouldn’t be so attached, that it was good to let go. But when you let go of something you have to find something else to hold onto. I knew what that something else should be. Or rather, that Someone. I knew I had allowed my identity to be wrapped up in a house and a lot of ‘stuff’ instead of in Jesus Christ.

I remembered the passage in Matthew, one my husband would half jokingly point me to — “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth …” (Matt.6:19).

I realized then I needed to not only reorganize my home, but my heart as well. I pray we can all let go of those things that don’t matter and hold onto the One who does.

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Thank you for taking the time to read. My name is Marcia Lee Laycock and I invite you to follow me if you’d like to read more of my work about finding your way home, into the arms of Jesus. 😊 Here on Medium you can find me at Pond’rings , Words on the Wing , Koinonia, and a few other publications along the way.

For more information about my writing and speaking ministry, check out my website