Letting Go... The Franciscan Challenge

Joy in Sharing Treasures

If maturity requires letting go, then dying to ourselves is the complete letting go of everything. Jesus assures us that the tremendously high cost of letting go of everything is worth the exchange. The Franciscan Challenge (www.fssh.net) calls us to the process of letting go and sharing our valuable things with others. What was this like for me? I had a wonderful hobby for years of making stained glass sun catchers. I recently gave away my stained glass equipment to someone who was just starting that hobby. That made me feel a lot of joy knowing that someone else was using what I valued for years. Also, I had about 20 stained glass angels that I made, and I loved each of them. When this Franciscan Challenge came up, I gave away all my angels to people I knew would treasure them. That gave me a lot of joy knowing that the love I put into them would be carried on by others. We do not have to feel deprived if we give away our “stuff.” It can be very freeing and fill us with joy if we let it.

When Memories are Attached to Things

All throughout the pandemic, I have been trying to clean and donate some of my unused items, old clothes, books and trinkets. I would clean and organize my closet and drawers, and whenever I feel I cleared a space in my closet or drawer, it would get filled up again in the next week---a never-ending cycle (or recycle) is happening in my life!

Well, during this invitation of letting go through the Franciscan Challenge (www.fssh.net), I chose to let go of things that have memories. Sometimes those memories get me stuck in the past joys--in the "how it was." In my drawer I have things that people gave me, or things that I have picked up during my retreat, like holy cards.

The things that belonged to earth, I gave back to earth (for example, shells, tree bark, leaves, stones, and so on). For the things that were given to me, I donated them to the thrift shop. For the holy cards, I sat and prayed with them and placed them in the recycle bin. It was hard at first because those had meaning, but then I realized that the memories of those people and the things they gave me have always been in my I think I will make a monthly tradition of this exercise of "Letting Go" of not only the material things, but also the personal attitudes and bad habits that I must release to allow space for transformation.

Fifteen Books Benefit People in Three States

It turns out I have a collection of books. The Franciscan Challenge caught my attention and moved me to read the books and give them away. As I finished reading a book, I used a tally sheet to record my stash, books and things. My sister accepted any books for her parish rummage sale. A former co-worker said one book would be beneficial to his parish. After dispossessing the 15 items, I felt lighter, and it was exciting to meet the goal of 15! People from Iowa, Illinois and Indiana received something.