A Woman of Faith

Anyone who has tackled the job of sorting through the estate of a deceased loved one, knows what a daunting task that can be. It usually is done with a mixture of emotions: loss, sadness, regret, frustration, and even anger—especially if the person was a hoarder.

When my late mother-in-law, Marge Raatjes, passed away several years ago at the age of 92, the job of sorting through her personal items fell to my sister-in-law, Beverly, and me. Our husbands, Bob and Dennis, spent their efforts dealing with the business and financial aspects of closing up their mom's estate.

Beverly and I approached the task with apprehension and dread. Somehow, it didn’t feel right going through our mother-in-law’s dresser drawers, cupboards, and closets. But, it had to be done and we were the ones to do it.

Our fear vanished as we got into the task and realized Mom Raatjes had prepared for her death by paring down her possessions to a bare minimum. She left one banker’s box of photos—all labeled with names and dates. The items in the cupboards were only those needed to run a small household.

Her clothes closet is what amazed me. Seven or eight outfits hung there, taking up very little closet space. One outfit for each day with one to spare! We were able to finish this difficult job in record time and with minimal effort. Beverly kept saying, “Mom really left us a gift.”

In addition to making our work easy, she left us a message about living the simple life. She was a woman of deep faith. I believe that was partly demonstrated in her lack of materialism. Her faith sustained her, not her possessions.

Marge was a teenager when the Great Depression hit. It greatly affected her family and her lifestyle. Perhaps that’s where she first encountered the need, then the desire, to minimize the importance of things.

Whatever, the reason—Depression or faith—I’m grateful for the lesson. I think of that image of her semi-empty closet when I feel guilty about my own over-stuffed shelves.

At Mom Raatjes’ memorial service, we had opportunity to share with some of her friends her feelings about material possessions. Many of them already knew about that. Several women expressed concern about the half-knit sweaters and large stash of yarn left in her apartment. You see, she knit many sweaters for needy children through Guideposts and World Vision’s Knit for Kids program. The women knew how important those sweaters were to Marge. We assured them they would be completed and mailed to the organization.


Materialism for herself? No. A large stash of yarn for shivering children? Definitely yes. Thanks, Marge, for the gift of minimalist living.