14 October | Youth
«Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.» Hebrews 12:1, 2
Throughout life, we need to let go of certain things in order to move forward. Some, however, are unable to understand this. I will tell you of an extreme case: that of compulsive hoarders. Have you heard of them? They represent 2% to 5% of adults worldwide. The hoarder develops an attachment to objects with no value, neither economic nor emotional: empty cans and bottles, cardboard, packaging, and other items that most people would throw away. They, however, do not recycle or organize them; they just accumulate, accumulate and accumulate. The place where they live is filled with cockroaches, rats, dirt and bad smells. Can you picture it?
What experts call “hoarder” is commonly known, in many parts of Brazil, as badameiro. Igor is one of them. The family did not know what else to do. In the house where he lived, you could smell the terrible odor from afar. Then his family had a “brilliant” idea. Taking advantage of his absence, they went in there, took everything they could, threw it away and cleaned the house. They thought Igor would be surprised and grateful. He was indeed surprised, but not grateful. In fact, he was furious! He fought with his family and, that same day, he started accumulating trash again. It was clear to everyone that the problem was within him.
A wolf in sheep's clothing is still a wolf. There are many things that cosmetics, diets, creativity, money and plastic surgery can do for us. The transformation of our nature, however, is not one of them. When it comes to purifying our souls, Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith, is the only solution. In order for it to work, however, we must want it. God's will alone is not a solution; neither is ours. Only the two combined can make incredible miracles, impressive changes. It's time to get rid of excess baggage, don't you think? This way it will be easier to run, lightly, the race that God proposes to us.