An Empty House

The sound of shattering glass cut through me as the men cleaned out the cabinets, dumping years of collected items into their buckets.  Within hours the couches we had sat on, the table we had eaten at, and the beds we had slept on were all gone. The truck pulled away. The house was silent. The house was empty, soon to no longer be our home. 

A few months back, my siblings and I came to the realization that the house we grew up in and in which my parents had lived since 1962 was no longer practical for our mom.  It was time to sell. And, that meant it was time to clear it out.  For months we sorted through piles of stuff—some filled with memories, some just pure junk.  We took with us those items we wanted to hold onto for nostalgia’s sake or could use in some way.  But, there was still a garage and a basement and house filled with items that had been collected throughout the years and that needed to be discarded in some way.  So, this past Monday the men we hired showed up with their big truck and did the dirty work of hauling away a part of both our parents’ life and ours.  The house was soon empty. As I stood in it, I too felt a bit empty. 

This was the house I moved into when I was just four years old. It was the house on which my dad had spent hours and years fixing and expanding and reconfiguring, especially as the family grew. My mom had cleaned every corner of it time and again. We, as children, had slid down its huge staircase, played ball in the yard, climbed its trees, and acted out our fantasies in its basement. It was often loud. Sometimes there was conflict. Often there was music and laughter.  It had become not just a house bought by a young couple looking to move out of “the city” to “the country,” but a home for a family of seven. For years upon years, it had been our home. 

But, the Bible is correct when it reminds us of the fact that the possessions of our lives will not last.  Life changes.  Things rust, fall apart, sometimes are stolen. That is why it is so important for us to maintain the right priorities in life, building our lives around that which will last; building our lives around that which is spiritual and eternal. 

Jesus said, “So do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or “What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’…your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:32-33 – NIV) 

The house I grew up in will soon belong to someone else. Right now it is empty. It’s kind of a hard thought.  Yet, I like all of us must face the reality that, only that which belongs to God’s kingdom will last.  So, while we may enjoy the blessings that God gives to us in this life, including the house of our youth, let’s make sure we are building our lives around that which will last. 

Have a great day!

Pastor Tim Harris