Wasted Spaces

I noticed today that I don’t sit on my front porch very often; even though it is filled with wicker furniture. I thought about the patio furniture; when was the last time that I sat down and ate outside on the patio? Oh, yeah, Cathy and I ate outside last week; although we don’t eat outside as often as we should since we have a patio and furniture on it. 

As I continued with my pondering, I looked around my house and realized there are rooms throughout my house that have in them furniture that I have not sat on in a long while. After a recent sleepless night due to heat, it occurred to me that we have a hide-a-bed couch in one area of our basement that I could’ve slept on. I mentioned this to some of my family members and they responded with; “Where do we have a hide-a-bed couch in the basement?” 

Defending myself, some of the unused spaces are due to the fact that we have been transitioning into becoming “empty nesters” and haven’t prayerfully figured out what we are to do with our house (and the rooms and furniture that we really don’t sit on but need to have just in case we or others want to use).

What are we to do with the extra clothing, jackets, furniture, tools, dishes, paintings, jewelry, books, toys, beds, bikes, cans of food (shoved in the back of the cabinet), suitcases, scraps of wood, sports and fishing equipment (including golf clubs given to me but I haven’t ever used), and used motor oil that is sitting in containers in our garage? Oh yeah, and the multitude of hockey pucks picked up over the years.

We have a problem to sort through. We need to continue to seek God to find out what we are to do with what we have; one day we will give an account with what we did with what we were given. And I want to give the correct response to the One who has provided so much to me. I want to fill my life with Him; not with stuff that I don’t need or want or even use.

^"Speaking to the people, He went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot." ^16-19Then he told them this story: "The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.' Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods, and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!' ²⁰"Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?' ²¹"That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God." (Luke 12:15-21 From “The Message” Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)