One-Drawer Life
As
I walked through our new kitchen, I vaguely heard a comment. “I
just realized, there is just one drawer in the kitchen!” The third
day, I decided to organize what Hilarie so carefully had begun in
unpacking the kitchen. And the comment about one drawer became
clear! Surely not! There had to be more than one drawer. There
wasn’t. Just one drawer!
Tim’s
voice (our son) echoed in my mind as we toured our previous house,
“Down-size, Mom, down-size.” I remembered the drawer-rich
kitchen. He pointed out what we could take and what there would not
be room for when we moved. In dis-belief, I looked around our new
kitchen and found ONE DRAWER!
voice (our son) echoed in my mind as we toured our previous house,
“Down-size, Mom, down-size.” I remembered the drawer-rich
kitchen. He pointed out what we could take and what there would not
be room for when we moved. In dis-belief, I looked around our new
kitchen and found ONE DRAWER!
The
direction, “It’s in the drawer!” takes on a different meaning.
Very concise and there can be no misunderstanding. “It’s in THE
DRAWER!”
direction, “It’s in the drawer!” takes on a different meaning.
Very concise and there can be no misunderstanding. “It’s in THE
DRAWER!”
As
I re-organized and determined what should be in THE DRAWER, I took an
overview of Kitchens of the Past. Why did one drawer seem so
un-doable?
I re-organized and determined what should be in THE DRAWER, I took an
overview of Kitchens of the Past. Why did one drawer seem so
un-doable?
In
our first two-room house in the country near Piedmont, Kansas, we
just had minimal storage place. I don’t even recall a drawer. We
had very few possessions. We didn’t stress, didn’t wonder where we
would put anything. Even when Uncle Gallio and Ed added two rooms to
the house, and piped water from the spring across the road, we still
we didn’t wonder about storage space.
our first two-room house in the country near Piedmont, Kansas, we
just had minimal storage place. I don’t even recall a drawer. We
had very few possessions. We didn’t stress, didn’t wonder where we
would put anything. Even when Uncle Gallio and Ed added two rooms to
the house, and piped water from the spring across the road, we still
we didn’t wonder about storage space.
Then
the move to Joplin. We rattled around in those five rooms and a full
basement. Then came Minneola with six rooms and a full basement.
New Harmony, Indiana had six rooms plus a room-sized hall way and a
black coal fired furnace in the basement. Hinton Oklahoma had 5 rooms
and a back porch. Near Dodge City, we had two stories and 8 rooms.
Then in Collinsville we spread out in two stories of 7 rooms plus a
full basement. In Rogers, for just two of us we enjoyed 14 drawers in the kitchen! There were more houses, and yet we never felt a want
for storage room even with our four children.
the move to Joplin. We rattled around in those five rooms and a full
basement. Then came Minneola with six rooms and a full basement.
New Harmony, Indiana had six rooms plus a room-sized hall way and a
black coal fired furnace in the basement. Hinton Oklahoma had 5 rooms
and a back porch. Near Dodge City, we had two stories and 8 rooms.
Then in Collinsville we spread out in two stories of 7 rooms plus a
full basement. In Rogers, for just two of us we enjoyed 14 drawers in the kitchen! There were more houses, and yet we never felt a want
for storage room even with our four children.
Why
now does one drawer in the kitchen take on such an exaggerated
meaning for me?
now does one drawer in the kitchen take on such an exaggerated
meaning for me?
Then
I realized what it is. The ‘full circle’ is taking place in our
lives. When it was someone else that moved, it didn’t seem to
matter. Somewhere along the life’s way, I had become attached to
things – familiar things – about me. Grandma Siemens’ two amber
glasses one, with a crack, Grandma Suderman’s gift of 3 dimensional
flowers in a glass rectangle, the pictures of family on the wall from
2 generations ago to 2 generations ahead. They all remind me of who
I am. When I unpacked a box last Friday and located the treasured
genealogy record books, I rejoiced. The lost and familiar had been
found.
I realized what it is. The ‘full circle’ is taking place in our
lives. When it was someone else that moved, it didn’t seem to
matter. Somewhere along the life’s way, I had become attached to
things – familiar things – about me. Grandma Siemens’ two amber
glasses one, with a crack, Grandma Suderman’s gift of 3 dimensional
flowers in a glass rectangle, the pictures of family on the wall from
2 generations ago to 2 generations ahead. They all remind me of who
I am. When I unpacked a box last Friday and located the treasured
genealogy record books, I rejoiced. The lost and familiar had been
found.
Down-sizing
is the loss of material reminders of who we are. I remember the day
my two brothers and their wives met us at Mom’s house in Watonga.
Mom’s house was filled with boxes and every flat surface was covered
with a life time of Mom’s belongings. Mom down-sized – moving to a
2 bedroom duplex in our town. About 7 years later she down-sized to
a single room. Her last living area in our home had only one window,
a hospital bed, a table that she cut down years ago to place her
typewriter on, a file of her writings, a pink bookcase of treasured
volumes, a small tv and one chest of drawers.
is the loss of material reminders of who we are. I remember the day
my two brothers and their wives met us at Mom’s house in Watonga.
Mom’s house was filled with boxes and every flat surface was covered
with a life time of Mom’s belongings. Mom down-sized – moving to a
2 bedroom duplex in our town. About 7 years later she down-sized to
a single room. Her last living area in our home had only one window,
a hospital bed, a table that she cut down years ago to place her
typewriter on, a file of her writings, a pink bookcase of treasured
volumes, a small tv and one chest of drawers.
Physical
down-sizing provides opportunities. It provides blessings and
serendipities. It is freeing:
down-sizing provides opportunities. It provides blessings and
serendipities. It is freeing:
•
It takes less time to care for things.
It takes less time to care for things.
•
It provides time to build spiritual strong holds.
It provides time to build spiritual strong holds.
•
It creates time to pray for children, grandchildren and those who
come
after.
It creates time to pray for children, grandchildren and those who
come
after.
•
It gives time for reflection, count blessings and know who God is.
It gives time for reflection, count blessings and know who God is.
Just
when time on earth is on a downward cycle, downsizing becomes a
blessing. Then time can be spent on the eternal, kingdom matters.
Seventy years ago, I watched my Grosmom Emilie Siemens rock her way
to Heaven. She sat on the front porch of our brown house in Clinton,
in the steel rocking chair and in time to the hymn she sang, she
rocked. She moved from a small two bedroom home in Corn, Oklahoma,
to one bedroom in our home in Clinton, Oklahoma. What was she
thinking as she sang, Shall We Gather At the River, the Beautiful,
the Beautiful River…. I knew
she had immigrated to this country when she was 16 years old from
Russia. Her life was difficult and austere in terms of comfort and
possessions in her early married life. She raised four sons and one
daughter. She lost her baby girl, Annaka, to meningitis at the age
of 1 year and 3 months old. Did she grow weary caring for her
husband when he became paralyzed and died at the age of 62? Who
comforted Grosmom? What was she thinking when she looked into the
Wear-ever kettles on the stove Mother used before dinner? Did she
miss her home in Russia?
when time on earth is on a downward cycle, downsizing becomes a
blessing. Then time can be spent on the eternal, kingdom matters.
Seventy years ago, I watched my Grosmom Emilie Siemens rock her way
to Heaven. She sat on the front porch of our brown house in Clinton,
in the steel rocking chair and in time to the hymn she sang, she
rocked. She moved from a small two bedroom home in Corn, Oklahoma,
to one bedroom in our home in Clinton, Oklahoma. What was she
thinking as she sang, Shall We Gather At the River, the Beautiful,
the Beautiful River…. I knew
she had immigrated to this country when she was 16 years old from
Russia. Her life was difficult and austere in terms of comfort and
possessions in her early married life. She raised four sons and one
daughter. She lost her baby girl, Annaka, to meningitis at the age
of 1 year and 3 months old. Did she grow weary caring for her
husband when he became paralyzed and died at the age of 62? Who
comforted Grosmom? What was she thinking when she looked into the
Wear-ever kettles on the stove Mother used before dinner? Did she
miss her home in Russia?
Mom
told me about her mother (Anna Loewen Suderman) moving from her small
house on the farm, to a larger house, and then a large home to care
for her parents and then a small house in town. Her last move was to
a single room. My Mom’s mindset with her final move was the same as
her Mother’s – “I just pray I can be decent about it.”
told me about her mother (Anna Loewen Suderman) moving from her small
house on the farm, to a larger house, and then a large home to care
for her parents and then a small house in town. Her last move was to
a single room. My Mom’s mindset with her final move was the same as
her Mother’s – “I just pray I can be decent about it.”
My
prayer is the same, so I walk into my kitchen and open The Drawer for
a spoon and give thanks! There are no coincidences with God –
everything is happening for His purposes – even when we are not
aware of it. God is teaching me So I am thankful for my one-drawer
kitchen. Some day I will move to one room. And the circle will be
completed and I will praise Him.
prayer is the same, so I walk into my kitchen and open The Drawer for
a spoon and give thanks! There are no coincidences with God –
everything is happening for His purposes – even when we are not
aware of it. God is teaching me So I am thankful for my one-drawer
kitchen. Some day I will move to one room. And the circle will be
completed and I will praise Him.
Last
Sunday, I heard these words….God’s Got It!
Sunday, I heard these words….God’s Got It!
God’s
got it! God’s got it!
got it! God’s got it!
He
‘s got my life in His control.
‘s got my life in His control.
I’m
trusting Him
trusting Him
With
my life and my soul.
my life and my soul.
God’s
got it! God’s got it!
got it! God’s got it!
When
the way is dark, let Him lead
the way is dark, let Him lead
In
His Wisdom and His Word
His Wisdom and His Word
In
joy I will ever feed.
joy I will ever feed.
God’s
got it! God’s Got It
got it! God’s Got It
Every
day He knows the way
day He knows the way
No
matter the storms we endure
matter the storms we endure
We’ll
see Him on That Day!
see Him on That Day!
(EAC)
But seek first his
kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to
you as well. Matthew 6:33
kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to
you as well. Matthew 6:33
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