Today is Special Enough to Use the Special Things

I pulled a storage tub of old clothes out of my closet last week. These clothes have been in the tub since we moved into our current home two years ago. They’re in the tub and not hanging in the closet because they are too small for me to wear. When I packed them in there, I was hopeful I would eventually lose enough “baby weight” to fit in them again. I’m pretty sure I can go ahead and give them away because if this hasn’t happened in two years, it’s probably not going to ever happen!

Going through this storage tub got me thinking of a time many years ago that I outgrew a pair of pants that I loved but rarely wore because I tried to save them for special occasions. There are many special items I keep because I may someday want to use them. For example, there’s the pretty pedestal cake plate, the dresses that are too formal for everyday wear, and the bottle of expensive perfume.

I tend to put off using special things because I fear I’ll wear them out or break them. I’m glad I went through these clothes because they’ve reminded me to use the special things.

The people who matter most to me are my husband and kids, as well as other family members and friends. I often put off using special things until “special occasions,” but what is more special than time spent with the people I value the most? Why not dress up for dinner with family? Why not serve dinner on our best plates? Why not use the fancy candlesticks?

Isn’t using these possessions the whole point of having them? Material possessions are blessings that enhance our lives. A pretty dish kept hidden in a box doesn’t enhance my life. Perfume left in a bottle doesn’t enhance my life. Lovely dresses gathering dust in the back of the closet don’t enhance my life. When we cherish these possessions too highly, we become fearful of damaging them or being without them. When this happens, they’re no longer enhancing our lives.

What is there to lose? What happens if I break a dish, ruin a piece of clothing, or use up a special product? It’ll be gone. Though it is unpleasant to think about, the reality is that we’ll lose it all someday anyway. We can go to great lengths to preserve our possessions here on earth, but we can’t take them into eternity. Eternity may be decades off or it may unexpectedly begin tomorrow. Why not enjoy the special things with our loved ones while we can? One wise teacher put it this way in Ecclesiastes 8:15: “So I recommend the enjoyment of life, for there is nothing better on earth for a person to do except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. So joy will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life that God gives him on earth” (NET).

As we head into the tradition-laden fall and winter seasons, I’m going to try to use the special things I usually keep stored away. Do you put off using certain special items because you don’t want to wear them out or break them? How do you decide which occasions are special enough to use them?

Shared at the following:

Encouraging Hearts and Home and Busy Monday.