Treasures on Earth and Laying Up an Inheritance
I won a Persian rug off eBay. It arrived a week before Hurricane Michael hit the Florida coast -- only 50 miles east of us.
As I cleaned up our little house, two truths lay before me in tension. The first is simply this: do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and mold destroy, where thieves break in and steal, and where hurricanes ravage.
The second is that the good man lays up an inheritance for his children's children. My momma has a Persian rug that her grandparents bought through the Sears and Roebuck catalogue when they married. She remembers dancing on that rug as a child, and I danced on that rug ... picking out step patterns by choosing which geometric element to step on next. So I bought a rug from the same region in hopes that my children and grandchildren will dance on it too.
The rug by itself might not be that valuable. But more significantly, I hope that it becomes a tangible reminder of love. My paternal grandmother, although not a Christian, had filled her home with beautiful things that she collected on her travels. She could make friends with anyone and her home was always open to visitors. My grandparents once hosted some Chinese opera singers on tour! She welcomed her daughters-in-law more warmly than sometimes their own families and embraced her grandchildren. Although her marriage to my grandfather was a difficult one, her home still stands in my father's mind as the model for what a home should be. And although she died when I was only six, her home still stands in my mind as a palace of beauty and love. By comparison, I feel sad walking through estate sales, seeing the abundance of tchotchkes seemingly collected for collection's sake, "of little use and no beauty." Of course, the family has usually picked over what they want. But often, it doesn't look like there was much that they wanted or even someone to inherit it.
My parents go to church with a family that has sent out three of their five children as missionaries to difficult places. Their home has many beautiful things, often brought home by their children. It is an inheritance both physical and spiritual. They often host their children and their families home on furlough. Perhaps we will be able to use our home the same way.
David laid up gold, silver, bronze, cedar, precious stones, and fine fabrics for his son Solomon to build a house for the Lord of exquisite beauty. Lord willing, as He shows His kindness and faithfulness, we will nurture another two generations of living temples. Ultimately, my family and God's people are both earthly treasures and heavenly treasures.
Who knows? We might only have this rug (vintage, handwoven, vegetable-dyed, exquisite) until the next hurricane season. Until then, we'll enjoy it. It was the Lord's to give and it is His to take away.
As I cleaned up our little house, two truths lay before me in tension. The first is simply this: do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and mold destroy, where thieves break in and steal, and where hurricanes ravage.
The second is that the good man lays up an inheritance for his children's children. My momma has a Persian rug that her grandparents bought through the Sears and Roebuck catalogue when they married. She remembers dancing on that rug as a child, and I danced on that rug ... picking out step patterns by choosing which geometric element to step on next. So I bought a rug from the same region in hopes that my children and grandchildren will dance on it too.
The rug by itself might not be that valuable. But more significantly, I hope that it becomes a tangible reminder of love. My paternal grandmother, although not a Christian, had filled her home with beautiful things that she collected on her travels. She could make friends with anyone and her home was always open to visitors. My grandparents once hosted some Chinese opera singers on tour! She welcomed her daughters-in-law more warmly than sometimes their own families and embraced her grandchildren. Although her marriage to my grandfather was a difficult one, her home still stands in my father's mind as the model for what a home should be. And although she died when I was only six, her home still stands in my mind as a palace of beauty and love. By comparison, I feel sad walking through estate sales, seeing the abundance of tchotchkes seemingly collected for collection's sake, "of little use and no beauty." Of course, the family has usually picked over what they want. But often, it doesn't look like there was much that they wanted or even someone to inherit it.
My parents go to church with a family that has sent out three of their five children as missionaries to difficult places. Their home has many beautiful things, often brought home by their children. It is an inheritance both physical and spiritual. They often host their children and their families home on furlough. Perhaps we will be able to use our home the same way.
David laid up gold, silver, bronze, cedar, precious stones, and fine fabrics for his son Solomon to build a house for the Lord of exquisite beauty. Lord willing, as He shows His kindness and faithfulness, we will nurture another two generations of living temples. Ultimately, my family and God's people are both earthly treasures and heavenly treasures.
Who knows? We might only have this rug (vintage, handwoven, vegetable-dyed, exquisite) until the next hurricane season. Until then, we'll enjoy it. It was the Lord's to give and it is His to take away.
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