6 min read

VII. Amend

Balance

Sometimes we find that we have to change things around to give life to a better new. We may have extra items that we don't want to have displayed as much or may want to switch out with new pieces, so we take them down. Bear in mind that not everything has to be out and displayed for you to see, even if it is something you draw strength from. Some items can become of a more personal nature or are made for keeping closer to the heart—only taking out to behold when you need reassurance. Things can sometimes become that much more precious when we keep them lovingly stowed away. An example of this could be something delicate and small like a rosary that you can keep in a trinket box, certain candles, books or even artwork. So yet, stowed items don’t just have to be for seasonal times like Christmas decoration, but also precious moments. Just as there can be many reasons to store something, there can also be additional reasons to why you may consider giving it away.

When there are a multitude of beautiful things we want to refresh or we attempt to reorder something that is of a larger size, there may be a chance that we have little room to adjust. To avoid running into cramming too many things for storage, the next best option could be gift giving. Here is an opportunity where we might make huge use of something we own to someone else. You may not want to part with everything you have stored away but how more interiorly and spiritually rewarding when you can take even a fraction of the amazing items you have and make them available as a gift to someone else.

“Do not choose to store up for yourselves treasures on earth: where rust and moth consume, and where thieves break in and steal. Instead, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither rust nor moth consumes, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

—Jesus Christ †, (Gospel of Saint Matthew 6:19)

The spirit of gifting isn’t just reduced to something impressive that you might buy for someone. So as you can imagine, if it is not something brought, it really shouldn’t be something of small value. Anything of great importance or sacrificial in nature can make a gift that much more beautiful. Again, something like this can remit you an even bigger reward and treasure in heaven, especially when you make the person who is receiving the gift, that may not be in a position to afford or obtain it feel like they were spontaneously blessed. When a person makes a 10k donation, which could be generously more than what they can give, this becomes an ultimate gesture of almsgiving combined with faith. Being very generous with your giving doesn’t have to be monetary but again it could be with something that you treasure. In a like case scenario, maybe you have an old cherished gift, something that doesn’t quite aesthetically or physically fit in your new but downsized space. You can give it away, instead of being greedy and looking for alternate storage. If it is done with the right heart, the chain of gift-giving also doesn’t have to end at one person, if you were initially given the gift by someone else. Some people see this as rude, but with the right discernment that passed down gift can be more of a cherished item to someone than you could have imagined it would be for yourself. If you have anything greatly valuable that is religious, and send it as a gift, this may impart more grace on the receiver and may merit more use from them knowing such a sacrificial gesture was made. A different example given in a homily by a priest was a time where he received a gift...click here to finish reading.