"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
William Morris
While cleaning out a hoarder’s apartment, one of my fellow workers began to take pictures. Curious why he wasn't working to get everything cleaned up instead of using his time and energy to take photos, I asked what he was doing. He said, "Taking before shots, it's good for my website." He owns a moving company and wanted potential customers to see the before and after.
Sometimes we (myself included) only want folks to see the finished product, the after. We'll even brag, "If you only knew how far the Lord has brought me!" That’s the problem. People do not know because we have not been fully honest about the extent of our "before". Put it on blast! Tell it on the website, "This is how bad things have gotten for me." I double dog dare you to do it while you are still in the midst of the trial itself. Confess your faults one to another.
It is part of our purpose on this Earth to bring God glory. He gets more glory when He cleans up the impossible situations of our lives. Share with others how impossible it really was/is. Be careful that you are not glorifying your sin life and reminiscing about how much fun it was B.C. (before Christ). Instead show how disillusioned you were when you thought “hoarding” (or whatever your vice) was a reasonable way to live.
Sure, you got by. Hoarders get by also; they make a slim path to get to the places they want. The path presents a workable solution that makes it seem as if things are okay, but you are not able to access all life has to offer. You have been given a two bedroom apartment, but you're only living out of one of the rooms. You cannot even eat at the dining room table (Psalm 23:5 Thou hast prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies), because you have blocked the way with all of your “stuff”. There is so much more that God has for us, but in the process of hoarding memories of pain, anger, hurt, disappointment, bitterness, etc. we are relegated to the narrow path we have chosen just in order to merely get by.
Take the "before" picture. Let God cleanse you from all unrighteousness and then present you faultless – the “after”. Show just how far God has brought you from.
Mickey Noella
Oh, and another thing..."Throw the junk away!" That is what we scream at the screen when watching shows like Hoarders. We do not realize we are attempting to remove the speck out of someone else’s eye when we have a plank in our own. They are piling up memories, and we are piling up memories. They just have tangible items to represent those precious memories. We may not have the tangible items, but the memories are there nonetheless. Let. It. Go.
