I happen to love the show, “American Pickers.”

You know the one: Two guys from Iowa travel the country looking for people that collect stuff, in hopes that they’ll be allowed to sift through it for “treasures.”

Sometimes, they “freestyle” and just size up a property for junk potential, surprising its occupants with a knock on the door, and a list of stuff they buy. Most of the time, it works for them, as a deer-in-headlights owner leads them to a stuffed-to-the-rafters barn to “pick” to their hearts’ content.

What I find most interesting, however, are the people who actually call the Pickers to come to their property.

“We’ve got old cars, bicycle parts, and a complete collection of Hummel figurines,” they say. “We haven’t even been in two of our four outbuildings since 1984. We really need to start clearing out.”

So, the Pickers show up and start picking. But something unexpected happens.

Every offer they make to the owner, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant the item, no matter that it hasn’t been touched or even SEEN in years and years, is met with…

“Um, no. No, I wouldn’t be able to part with that. What you’re offering is generous, but no, I just can’t let that go.”

Late last week, I watched an episode where this was the case. However, it turned out that the Pickers were NEVER able to “break the ice” with the property owner. Even though they’d been called out to the property, that owner was ultimately never able to let go of anything. It resonated with me all weekend, right up until I sat in church yesterday, and this passage was discussed:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…” Hebrews 12:1 NIV

“Let us throw off everything that hinders…”

It’s been my experience that if I think God is being silent, it’s only because I’m not paying attention. What does American Pickers and a scripture in Hebrews have to do with me? And maybe you, too? Let me show you a picture.

That is not a picture of my barn, or any other building on my property. But it IS an accurate depiction of the inside of my heart.

It struck me, like a blow to the head, that I was suffering from some junk-collecting in overdrive. Lies, resentment, unforgiveness, pet sins, and all manner of other distractions are taking up room in my heart; so much so that I can’t really even get in there. I’ve known for a while that there were things of which I needed to let go, and have even gone so far as to call on God to come clean things out. I know He offers to give me the very generous gift of freedom for each item He clears out, but here’s the catch:

I have to turn the item over to Him. He doesn’t take anything. He only accepts offerings.

Today’s a new day. A day to throw off everything that hinders. A day to say YES and hand over my offering.

A day to let go.