Cleaning Out Room, Selling Belongings.. For The Pearl Of Great Price.

[johnnydigit]

these past few months i have been cleaning out my room, organizing things, preparing to give away/sell things.. preparing the room by far seems the hardest. going through all my personal belongings, discovering things from the past, throwing away sentimental things.. all for the pearl of great price.

experiences?

[i]"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it." -Matthew 13:45[/i]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/johnnydigit/catholic/pearlofgreatprice.jpg[/img]

[TotusTuusMaria]

hard thing to do. i cleaned my room yesterday... i am kind the opposite on throwing away things though.. mom had to restrain me a couple times.

i understand it is hard though. prayers for you.

it is worth it.

[laetitia crucis]

[quote name='johnnydigit' post='1837080' date='Apr 16 2009, 04:04 AM']these past few months i have been cleaning out my room, organizing things, preparing to give away/sell things.. preparing the room by far seems the hardest. going through all my personal belongings, discovering things from the past, throwing away sentimental things.. all for the pearl of great price.

experiences?

[i]"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it." -Matthew 13:45[/i]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/johnnydigit/catholic/pearlofgreatprice.jpg[/img][/quote]

For me, I found it really cathartic and exciting... it made entering more "real", if that makes sense. I couldn't help saying to myself over and over, "I'm [i]really[/i] doing it. I'm [i]really [/i]entering religious life! ALLELUIA!"

However, I suppose the most difficult thing was the thoughts from others -- practical worries that made sense, like, "Well, what if you come back? What will you do since you gave everything away?"

And well... I just pushed those thoughts aside. I mean, even though I'm now back "in the world" discerning orders again, God totally provided. Miraculously it seems! -- I literally gave [b]every thing[/b] away. God is amazing.

One day, I hope to give it all away again. And perhaps it will be to join your new Franciscan family.

Many prayers headed your way! God bless!

lc

[walburga]

[quote name='johnnydigit' post='1837080' date='Apr 16 2009, 02:04 AM']these past few months i have been cleaning out my room, organizing things, preparing to give away/sell things.. preparing the room by far seems the hardest. going through all my personal belongings, discovering things from the past, throwing away sentimental things.. all for the pearl of great price.

experiences?

[i]"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it." -Matthew 13:45[/i]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/johnnydigit/catholic/pearlofgreatprice.jpg[/img][/quote]

I'm doing the same thing right now. The hardest was giving away my two cats. I was very blessed that my best friend offered to take them, but the past week and a-half have been pretty rough. I miss cuddling up with them, hearing them knock things around my apartment at 4:00am, having them greet me when I come home. The piano goes next. My parents have already been given power of attorney, the title to my car, my bank account, etc. In the meantime, while I'm getting rid of things, I'm gathering up/purchasing all the things on 'the list' - all the necessary clothing/items for postulancy. Not one person has said, "What if you come back". I guess everyone feels this is 'it'. It's wierd, very, very strange. I hardly know who I am right now.

[InHisLove726]

I'm slowly doing this. I haven't been officially accepted yet, but I feel like it's going to happen. Some of the Sisters keep giving me little clues that it will happen when I am up working with them next month! If all goes well, I could be entering this fall, so I don't want to wait until then to start selling things. I have too much stuff anyway.

[CatherineM]

I had to go through 40+ years of stuff when I moved to Canada. Anything that couldn't be mailed parcel post had to go. Anything that would cost more to mail than replace also. It may have been one of the most exhausting things I have ever done. Every piece that you pick up triggers the memories of when you got it, why, who gave it to you or where you bought it, and all the times you've used or touched it. Just remember to take breaks because it can be very mentally and emotionally taxing.

[AccountDeleted]

I have travelled a lot around the world, so haven't always been able to save things like I want to but I haven't minded not having a lot of personal possessions. In the past though, I always had a place to come back to and to store things with my brother, like boxes of photos and documents - and both times I went into Carmel, I gave him my laptop for his family to use. Now he is moving back to Canada (to a small apartment) and there will be no place to store anything so this feels weird. I will definitely be "homeless" in a way.

When I came back to his house this time, he gave me back the last laptop I had and also my digital camera, and asked what I wanted to do about the boxes I had stored with him since he can't afford to take everything with him. Well, this week I sold my laptop on eBay finally (what a wrench) and my camera is being sold too (nothing expensive, but it was nice to have on my trips). And I have had to sort through all the documents and photos and scan them to put on a thumb drive that can be stored with no space at all.

As for what will happen if I leave again --- well, what happens to people after a major disaster like a hurricane or house fire etc?? .... they move on. In the end, we have to leave everything behind anyway, so maybe this is just a dress rehearsal? That doesn't mean it is easy though.

[InHisLove726]

I'm cleaning up my room today, and I'm noticing how much JUNK I have. I mean, seriously, where did I acquire all this stuff? I don't need all this!

Edited April 16, 2009 by InHisLove726

[johnnydigit]

[quote name='laetitia crucis' post='1837173' date='Apr 16 2009, 07:30 AM']For me, I found it really cathartic and exciting... it made entering more "real", if that makes sense. I couldn't help saying to myself over and over, "I'm [i]really[/i] doing it. I'm [i]really [/i]entering religious life! ALLELUIA!"[/quote]

it was exciting at first and i was on a roll, then it slowed down.. there are good days and bad days, easy and hard.. the cycle continues, but He provides much consolation, for now..

[quote name='walburga' post='1837226' date='Apr 16 2009, 08:41 AM']My parents have already been given power of attorney, the title to my car, my bank account, etc. In the meantime, while I'm getting rid of things, I'm gathering up/purchasing all the things on 'the list' - all the necessary clothing/items for postulancy. Not one person has said, "What if you come back". I guess everyone feels this is 'it'. It's wierd, very, very strange. I hardly know who I am right now.[/quote]

power of attorney? do they take over your bank account? i was just going to close my accounts and sell my car to finish paying off my school loans.

i asked about things to bring, and they said pretty much nothing. only whatever will help you live a life of "seraphic poverty and penance". woah! powerful words! i can bring something for recreation though, like my guitar, so that's nice. as edifying as it can be, i'll miss my mp3 player full of Christian music.


as i finished reading your replies, one of my favorite songs from Third Day came on, and the words actually were very consoling.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgeMHHbFslk"]"Mountain of God" by Third Day[/url][i]

..Even though the journey’s long
And I know the road is hard
Well, the One who’s gone before me
He will help me carry on
After all that I’ve been through
Now I realize the truth
That I must go through the valley
To stand upon the mountain of God
..
Sometimes I think of where it is I’ve come from
[b]And the things I’ve left behind
But of all I’ve had, what I possessed
Nothing can quite compare
With what’s in front of me[/b][/i]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/johnnydigit/catholic/friarsit.jpg[/img]

then the very next song was

[url="http://new.music.yahoo.com/third-day/tracks/its-alright--2038237"]"It's Alright" by Third Day[/url][i]

..And though waiting is the hardest
part of everything I do
I do confess it's getting better
Knowing I will be with you

It's alright
It's okay
I won't worry about tomorrow
For it brings me one more day
Closer than I was to you
[/i]
"keep praying and entrust all things to the Immaculate!"
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/johnnydigit/catholic/maryangels.jpg[/img]

[johnnydigit]

[quote name='InHisLove726' post='1837786' date='Apr 16 2009, 05:45 PM']I'm cleaning up my room today, and I'm noticing how much JUNK I have. I mean, seriously, where did I acquire all this stuff? I don't need all this! [/quote]

i've loaded my car up with giant bags (7 of those 44gallon drum bags) of clothes and i still have a full closet left! it's ludicrous, and pretty shameful even.

[InHisLove726]

[quote name='johnnydigit' post='1837795' date='Apr 16 2009, 07:58 PM']i've loaded my car up with giant bags (7 of those 44gallon drum bags) of clothes and i still have a full closet left! it's ludicrous, and pretty shameful even.[/quote]

I feel ya. I feel ridiculous with all this stuff. I've got like 10 pairs of shoes in my closet that I am hanging on to even though I don't wear them anymore. I've got clothes in my closet and dresser that I don't wear. I've got movies I don't watch. Jewelry I don't wear.... etc. I have a feeling that I will be going to Goodwill tomorrow for some of it. And I plan to have another garage sale (a more successful one) at the end of the month.

[walburga]

[quote name='InHisLove726' post='1837936' date='Apr 16 2009, 10:20 PM']I feel ya. I feel ridiculous with all this stuff. I've got like 10 pairs of shoes in my closet that I am hanging on to even though I don't wear them anymore. I've got clothes in my closet and dresser that I don't wear. I've got movies I don't watch. Jewelry I don't wear.... etc. I have a feeling that I will be going to Goodwill tomorrow for some of it. And I plan to have another garage sale (a more successful one) at the end of the month. [/quote]

After purchasing the things on 'the list', I have more clothes than I've had in the last 13 years! It's pretty funny! Well, I'm moving to a state with COLD weather and THAT means I need certain things that otherwise I wouldn't. The community I'm entering is POOR and so, each one brings what she can. The list is short, as per items, but 14 of EVERYTHING! Each one has a day to turn in her laundry and you get it back two days or so later. When I did my observership, I always had a few things to handwash because currently, I don't have more than seven of anything. As for the power of attorny - postulants are not to receive any type of financial mail. I'm using my retirement to finish paying my student loans and the checks will come after I've gone so... my parents are taking the responsibility for making those payments, etc. They have to have legal rights to all my financial stuff because I won't have any access to that kind of mail or the internet, etc. Then, there are always taxes next spring... someone will have to file those on my behalf. There's a lot of legal stuff that's got to be done. For me, it hasn't been so much the giving up of the 'things' themselves, but I was surprised to discover that I was actually attached to the ability to 'own' things, even though I've purposely had the minimum of everything for the last decade. At least I knew I COULD own something if I wanted. That's all gone now. Once I enter, I can't even decide for myself what book to read! I am mostly relieved, but it will still take some getting used to.

[Saint Therese]

The only thing I would really hate to part with would be my books. I tend to throw things away a lot anyways.

[laetitia crucis]

[quote name='walburga' post='1837977' date='Apr 16 2009, 11:44 PM']The list is short, as per items, but 14 of EVERYTHING![/quote]

Wow! Good luck!

You know, I wonder if there was ever a store for soon-to-be postulants... it'd be nice to find some items in bulk. Or well, just specific things certain orders ask for in the most commonly asked for brands.

[InHisLove726]

[quote name='laetitia crucis' post='1838470' date='Apr 17 2009, 11:44 AM'] Wow! Good luck!

You know, I wonder if there was ever a store for soon-to-be postulants... it'd be nice to find some items in bulk. Or well, just specific things certain orders ask for in the most commonly asked for brands. [/quote]