Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

• Job 22:25

Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

• 1 Timothy 3:16

No matter how hard you try, you cannot mash these two verses together to come up with cleanliness is next to godliness.  But I grew up with that saying pounded into my head.

I think my wife heard it a few times also.

When the children were little, she cleaned everything.  We could not “eat off the floor,” but the house was clean.

Okay, if a dreaded veggie that the boys did not like fell on the floor, it was deemed contaminated.  If it was a cookie, there was the fifteen second rule.  Thirty seconds if it rolled under the couch.  Forget that.  I lost count.  Let’s start over…

But the veggie thing…  We’d never risk that.

But when the boys were grown and out on their own, those Knick Knacks on the shelf were no longer treasures.  They were dust collectors.

One problem with downsizing is that everything that you look at brings back memories.  Okay, a third you do not realize was something you had.  Throwing that stuff away is easy,

Then again, my son is bound to ask what happened to that old …

But to be honest, to me, the only things that matter are the photos, my Bible reference library, a few other books for eccentric reasons, and then clothing.  Of course, the computer stuff is what I do.  And my neckties and hats are what I have collected over the years.

And when it comes to the other stuff, I need a few pieces of furniture, but not many.

I am getting convinced that my back issues stem from a worn-out mattress, and I am thinking of downsizing that to provide more floor space.

But doing major downsizing means that you have to consider what you still hold dear while remembering that you cannot take anything with you, except the love of Jesus.

So, why hang onto the things that you know your son will throw away.

But I think it was Sheryl Craig Russell or maybe Kathy Boecher who suggested that I photograph everything that I throw away.  That way, I have the memory.  But I also have just created the evidence that I threw it away.  Yikes!

But in everything we do, do it to the glory of God.

Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory.