“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
For the past two weeks my wife Nancy and I have been helping clean out our neighbor’s house. Our neighbor passed away a few months ago. He had two sisters that both live out of town several states away. When they went into their brothers house they discovered he was a hoarder.. To clean out his house in the beginning they literally had to use rakes and shovels. I had to use my truck and trailer to haul away loads of large black garbage bags full of trash, magazines, expired food, and old, broken, and none-working items piled around the house. And then we had to help clean, dust, sort through and separate all the thousands of dollars of items that will sold at his estate sale. We finished the house, however the garage which is packed with items also needs to be gone through next.
Nancy and I knew our neighbor. He actually lived a street over and up the road a little ways. However, we hand out invitations to over 400 homes around us in our in our neighborhood to our annual Neighborhood Halloween Gathering and Easter Sunday service we hold in our front and back yard. He was a nice elderly man, who would come to our gatherings with his little dog, sit around the fire pit in our yard, grill a hot dog and talk. However we did not know of his hoarding.
He lived alone, and in his isolation he turned to “stuff” to fill the whole in his life that family, friends, and human contact was designed to fill. The stacks of Playboy Magazines we hauled off were a “fake” way he attempted to replace his desire for real intimacy, love and sharing his life with a wife. He wanted happiness and connection, and spent thousands of dollars filling his home with “stuff” as a the source of both of these, but “stuff” is always only a temporary fix.
When I returned to my home after a day of cleaning his, the “plank in my own I” prevented me from any kind of judgement. As I looked around the “nice” items I have filled my house with for my happiness and comfort. Items and resources that I “cherish” that I think are necessary for my happiness and my kingdom, but in reality cannot bring me any true happiness or impact the advancement of Jesus’ Kingdom. But in the end will be simply be dusted off and sold at an estate sale for pennies on the dollar. Sometimes it takes attending a funeral to realize life is short and time is precious. Attending a wedding to be reminded how blessed I am for my wife. Sit with a person battling cancer to be truly grateful for my health. Or clean out a house full of “stuff” of a hoarder to open my eyes to ways I am hoarding myself. And remind myself that no matter how nice, expensive, a good deal I got it for it, or rare it is, that item in my house is just “stuff.”
My family, I pray as you begin a new week you will reflect on, as I am, what your treasures are, what are you storing up, and begin to seek out the things that can truly bring happiness, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share with us your thoughts and reflections with us this morning in the comment box below.
I could use your financial support for myself, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commit to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
