My friend Caitlin has always given me recommendations of great books to read- lists of things I should read, sometimes reading for fun and other times reading to learn something or grow my faith. Lately she's mentioned this book called "7" more than once - it's about minimalism. I've heard of it through several other people, so I know something must be catching about this book, this theory that consumerism is taking over our world.
I haven't read the book, but two weeks ago we got a crash course in minimizing: Drew & I were robbed. We learned a lot. Long story short, we did not have the permit set up on our alarm with the city of Houston, so police were not dispatched. Word to the wise, if you live in a city that requires a form and fee to permit your alarm with the police, DO. IT. The people who broke into our house cut the siren to our alarm and were professionals who took their time - and it took us over 90 minutes to get to the house since we were both in the middle of a work day. On top of no permit therefore no police dispatched, we've had several false alarms this spring, where our alarm company calls and says "Your front door is open." I would race home from work, kept drew on the phone as I walked throughout the house - no sign of break in, alarm still armed, front door closed and locked. So when we got the cal that Thursday morning at 9:09 am that our front door was open, I didn't immediately think it meant the worst, thought for sure it was just another false alarm. But, there were people in our house. Grabbing things and going.
Recently, I organized my jewelry drawer. I have a lot of bracelets worth nothing, fun little inexpensive items from Target or Forever 21 or trinkets from a vacation. Earrings, the same story. I have a few family pieces, like a diamond bracelet I wore my wedding day that I had yet to return to my mom. A necklace from a Houston designer that was my version of the Aggie ring, my graduation gift from my parents. The list goes on, but - it's all gone. I found one earring under the bed the other day - it's the only earring I have. It is creepy to be wiped clean of everything, strange to get dressed for the day and not have a bracelet to throw on.
The bible tells us in Timothy that we came to the earth with nothing and we will leave with nothing - this experiece was an excellent reminder. It is fun to pass things on to other generations, I love the few things I have of my great-grandmothers - her old suitcase, her earring that is now the center of my wedding band, a small plastic container that held her Estee Lauder lipstick when I played in her make-up drawer. But, as special as these are to me now, they mean nothing to my great-grandmother. She is in Heaven, where jewelry and clothes and handbags mean nothing - they don't even exist.
The robbery was good, in many ways. I have cleaned out my closet and am more organized than ever. (Less items = more organization.)
It was humbling, brought me to my knees. My mom left work and came to my rescue, with her friend Brigitte, and as I turned the corner in my house into our master bedroom, I lost it. I saw a pile of clothes, a few empty plastic containers on the bed, the contents of my nightstand scattered on the floor. I noticed that my dad's ipad was gone (thankfully his pictures are still stored on his computer) and the TV had been ripped from the wall, leaving behind holes in our sheetrock. My dad had bought that TV for me at costco a year ago, and installed it at stephanie & mine's rent house - he had hung the bracket upside down and we gave him all kinds of grief over it.
I wanted my Dad. I wanted to call him, to ask him what to do, to have him say he'd be right over, to tell me it was just stuff and he was glad we were safe - thankfully, oh I am so thankful, my mom did all of those things. My mom is a miracle, in human flesh. She makes everything okay. Always. And my brother, who's pretty helpful too, drove by on his way to a meeting in the Woodlands. But my dad, my sweet, Mr. Fix It, always has an answer for everything, always sees the glass half full, funny man Dad - he was gone. He wasn't on Earth. My heart hurt. It was hard to swallow. I gasped for air for a few seconds, leaned my back against the wall, took a few deep breaths. I pulled it together - my mom had gone back to the living room, unable to look at me I think, her heart equally as broken, missing him likely even more than me.
I know God still has his hands on our family. I know he loves us and is more evident than ever before. But I am still sad. I still miss my dad.
As I picked up some things to return to their place, began to survey exactly all that had been taken, all that had been lost, a rush of pity overcame me. Good things do NOT happen to evil people. It eventually catches up to you, I'm sure. And I felt sorry, really sorry, for all the pain these thieves were likely to have in their life. How terrible, that they might never know the feeling of earning your own paycheck. How awful, that they spend their day destroying innocent people's property. How sick, that they violate someone's space and run on, feeling no remorse.
My great-grandparents gave me a bracelet from James Avery for 8th grade graduation. My mom had it engraved on the inside:For Courtney Love Dear & Papa" - I have worn it everywhere. To Camp Longhorn, to high school, to college, to North Carolina for Young Life work crew, to Europe, to South America, to DC. I have worn it at my first job and I have worn it to several funerals and weddings. I have read those words and rubbed those words thousands of times, a reminder of things to focus on, things that Christ gives to us through the Holy Spirit - and I have learned so much about the Holy Spirit these past few months. The bracelet may be gone, and I luckily can order a new one, and though it won't be the same, it does not matter. The word of our God stands forever.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
