In Collector Mode

For a while now, Andrew, Isaiah, and Brielle have shared a love for collecting things. Currently, somewhere in our house (mostly in Isaiah's closet) one can stumble upon an acorn collection, feather collection, coin collections, world currency collection, rock collections, sports card collection, pokemon card collections, sticker collection, elephant toy figure collection, world doll collection, silly banz collection, map collection and many others.

I'v recently tried to get in collector mode for my family's sake. I'm usually too eager to rid our house of any doubles and triples, and generally have a low tolerance for clutter. I could blame our limited space for these purging tendencies or say I tend to think 'less is more', but I think there's more to it than that. If I'm honest, the real hangup for me is that I want our home to look nice and collections don't always fit the decor. I've come to realize recently that that's pretty selfish...when clearly the rest of the family would love to have their collections displayed. Wouldn't that make this house feel more like home to them?

So, here's what I've purposed in my heart. I have decided to not only look for ways to better display their collections, but also start up a family collection we can all help grow. Yes, that's right. I've officially joined their ranks. We now have a bottle collection in plain sight above the kitchen cabinet and I'm the main contributor. It's not impressive and doesn't fit the kitchen decor...but that's how I want it.

I know it's a pretty minor concession, but it feels good to die to self like this. In lieu of seeking the praise of outsiders I am making a better home for the people who actually live here. It doesn't have to be about me anymore and that's how it should be.

 Although...in a way, it still is about me. Or at least, it's about God slowly teaching me to be a better homemaker by exposing my selfish motives in the day to day stuff. It's God sanctifying me....little by little. It's God helping me to follow His example as the Servant.

It's learning to be in collector mode because that's what we do here, and not because others will think it's so cool or because it's fashionable.