It would have been better if our house burned down. For so many reasons. You see, our house was contaminated by toxic black mold. By the time we realized it was there, I was really, really sick (still am, actually, but that’s another story).

So here’s the first reason fire would have been better (as long as everyone made it out safely): If it had been fire, and not mold, then I probably would be healthy right now.

Here’s another reason: people understand fire to some degree. But mold? Most people raise their eyebrows skeptically.

Reason number three: The only foolproof way to eradicate mold is with fire.

Number four: Insurance might have paid for some of the material possessions lost in fire. But mold not so much.

Five: Fire is done and over with. But instead, we lugged all our stuff contaminated with mold all over the country, getting more and more sick, paying to move things we should have just abandoned long ago.

The only things foolproof-ly cleanable after mold contamination are things made out of only straight glass and metal (CD’s are debatable).

Also, when a fire burns up all your material possessions, they’re gone. There’s no wondering if you should keep it. All there is to do is start new (though I know that is hard in and of itself). With mold, however, you have to make the decision to throw everything you own away (or risk someone else by selling it, but that’s another debate as well). You have to choose to get rid of those baby albums and beloved stuffed animals, the keepsakes and journals.

It feels like such a complete waste. Not to mention my mom said it felt like she was throwing away our childhoods. I got off easy…because I was the one who reacted to the mold, I didn’t have to be there for most of it. I felt SO guilty though to be the reason that it all had to go.

What did we learn through this? Well, I learned that people need A LOT less clothing and accessories than our entire culture seems to think. I learned just how much stuff most people have. Started over means starting minimalistic… just getting a couch made our house feel super crowded. I also learned how much of that stuff people don’t actually use.

Most importantly, though, I found out fully and completely that it’s all just stuff. Stuff doesn’t matter. People matter. Relationships matter. Stuff doesn’t matter. Even your home isn’t as important as you think.

Yes, it can be hard to let go of things. There are something that are irreplaceable… like scrapbooks and journals. And we humans long for a place to call home. But none of that is most important.

God is most important. People are most important. When everything else is stripped away you realize that it didn’t really matter in the first place.

Author’s Note: I do not intend in any way to take away from the suffering of those who have lost their homes to a fire or natural disaster. I’m sure that that is an extremely hard thing to go through. Please don’t let this come across the wrong way.