Words cannot express the excitement we felt when we finally received our passports in the mail! Of course, the girls feel they are super cool...not just every kid has their own passport! We even got the giganto 52-page passports...what fun we are going to have trying to fill all of those pages!
Michael and I received our contract packets in the mail this last week. Crazy--all the paperwork and documents it takes to apply for a visa!! I felt like I should throw in a pint of blood or two just to be safe. :o) Everything got mailed off yesterday, so we are one step closer to our departure. So unbelievable to think that in six months we will be on a plane to Korea!!
Okay...confession time. Over the holidays, I spent a lot of time going through our closets. It took me an entire afternoon and evening to go through all of the girls' clothes. "Try this on" and "Seriously, you've grown out of that?!" were frequent words out of my mouth. Grace was especially trying...she's never been too fond of hand-me-downs from Anna. Anything remotely "girly," "sparkly," or--heaven forbid--PINK was automatically dismissed with an upturned nose. I'm happy to report that all three girls survived, with very few emotional scars to speak of. But, I believe I've significantly downsized their clothing, and I know what things I now need to buy.
Here comes the confession...I was doing great, simplifying, until I came to my own closet. I went in the closet, armed with a good attitude and a strategic plan. If I haven't worn in a year, then it's out. I made great strides...no lie. But after I cleared out all of the unloved, unworn, and just plain ugly clothes, I was still shocked to realize that my closet was still full. Michael had informed me a day or two before that we were all allowed two suitcase on the plane. Easy, I had thought at the time. But I found myself sitting in my closet, close to tears, falling apart, thinking, "How in the WORLD am I going to fit ALL of this in ONLY TWO SUITCASES??" And I was utterly ashamed and disgusted with myself at the same time. Here I had been talking the good talk about not being wrapped up in material things, how easy it would be to just sell/give away all we have and go...and yet, I found myself crying over my earthly possessions. My clothes. My shoes. MY STUFF. I was reminded how blessed my life is. How there are people I come in contact with each day that don't have half of what I have. I was humbled and put in my place.
Michael found me, still sitting there, quite some time later. He must have taken pity on me, because he told me I could take two additional suitcases--we would simply pay extra-baggage fees. I can honestly say I felt enormous relief...but I'm still praying and working on my attitude. And on my obvious obsession with my clothes. And shoes. I'm a work in progress.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6: 19-21
