Hey! Where's All The Stuff?

Revelation 21:10, 22 - 22:5

A few weeks ago the high school class I help with had two guest speakers; one was a realtor and the other was a mortgage loan officer. The purpose of the talk was to help our high school seniors and juniors realize that in order to live on their own they're going to have to get a good education and find a good career, one that pays well enough for them to afford a place of their own. The students really had their minds opened to the fact that if they want to afford a place of their own they're really going to have to do well in school, so I guess you can say the goal of the lesson was accomplished.

Maybe because I already have a place of my own, or maybe because I didn't really see a purpose for me to completely tune in to what these two guest speakers were saying I distracted myself by correcting papers. As I marked papers I partially listened to what they were talking about; rental versus owning, down payment requirements, apartment versus condo versus single family home, credit worthiness. All things someone with my life experiences already knows, but things very good for 16 and 17 year olds to try and understand.

Then they said something which made me sit up straight and listen. "In your lifetime you will notice that when you start out you'll most likely live in a studio or small one-bedroom apartment and as life continues and you get a life-partner and maybe a family you'll begin to look at multiple room condos or townhomes and single-family homes. Then, as your children move out and it becomes just you and your life-partner you'll begin to downsize, most likely living out your retirement in a studio or single bedroom apartment or condo."

The two guests had just introduced them to the cycle of home ownership life. The reason this made me perk up and listen is because I'm currently in that downsizing process, looking to move to a single bedroom condo  in about 5 to 10 years, and the one thing I'm finding out is we're going to have to get rid of a lot of things -  a lot of things.

Today's passage reminds me that we don't really need all the stuff. If the holy city of Jerusalem can come down from heaven and not need a temple, the sun, nor the moon then why would I need a large screen TV, a king-sized bed, or a complete living room set. All I really need is enough to be comfortable and the love of those around me.

God provides us with all we need. It's become human nature to want more. Those two speakers and today's passage remind me that what it really comes down to is that all we need is each other and our God.