On a road trip to AZ, we made a stop in New Mexico to see some cousins. As we sat at lunch we were talking about how my mom's side of the family sort of, fell apart, after my grandparents had both passed away. Money and worldly possessions had become a source of contention and eventually disbanded our once extremely tight knit klan. We talked about how my mom's parents had been the "buffer" of our family and everyone just got along. I began to think about what life would be like when my parents passed away, would all us siblings and our children still stay close? Or would we let the desire to claim my parents (mostly sentimental, not profitable) possessions drive us apart? I decided if it came down to fighting over stuff, they can have it, I'll happily take pictures of the things I cherish, write notes on what I remember and scrapbook the whole house if I have to.
What a stupid thing to fight over, STUFF. Greed, selfishness, pride... Those are the only characteristics that would cause one to push a person out of their hearts and replace it with something that wasn't living. And quite frankly I don't want to posses any of those traits.
Why have we as a world become so obsessed with STUFF. I may live a modest life, because I have little money to waist on crap. And I feel confident as we earn more money we will acquire nicer cars, a nicer house, nicer clothes, nicer....crap. But why? Obviously a few things are just to live a sanitary, easy to manage, healthy lifestyle. But after that, it's just to make us feel good, is it not?
I would love to do an experiment where you could turn your personality into items. The kinder, happier, more honest, more Christ like traits would be turned into gold, fine linens, beautiful homes etc. and the greedy, dishonest, mean, evil traits would turn into moldy fabrics, worn out broken things, chipped paint and flat tires.
I bet our views of who we admired would change drastically if we could tell what type of a person someone was based on their possessions. Makes you wonder how quickly our world would change, when those worth admiration were the rich ones, and those in need of a slap in the face, and a severe change of heart were living in poverty. An odd thing to think about I'll admit, but when our lives in this realm end, and we stand before our maker that's what it will be like, our countenance will either glow with glory of our righteous endeavors, or we will look pail, dingy, filled with grief and the grim of the world we let devour our souls.
Right on. I used to justify my lack of worldly posessions by saying I was a good man or I had better qualities than the so called successful people in the world. In order to be successful in the world you have to play the worlds games. If you play the worlds games you become the world and all that comes with it. Even good men may be tainted with the images of people who just have more crap. wouldn'd it be interesting if ways of being were literaly riches.
ReplyDeleteFor the record when mom and dad are gone all I want is the sweet relationships I have with my sisters and my brother. This is was I treasure most .... Someone else can have the stuff....
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