It’s just stuff – or is it?

My youngest daughter recently experienced a fire, her apartment burned. When she contacted us to let us know what happened her initial assessment was, “I lost everything but the clothes on my back.” This is from the poem I wrote that night:

I was awakened today

Bad news from far away

“Wake up” I heard him say

“Erica’s house burned down today.”

And in a scene straight from a dream

There was Erica’s tear stained face

“My place burned up, I’ve lost it all”

That was the reason for the call

How do you remember everything you’ve lost?

How do you figure up how much it costs?

This is hard, but how can I really know how rough?

I sit surrounded by all of my stuff

Our stuff. We have so much of it. It is really hard to imagine losing all your things. Harder to actually suffer through it! This got me to thinking about all my stuff.

Jesus said, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

We know this is true, but imagine your life if you possessed nothing. Too drastic? Imagine your life if you could only keep what would fit in your car. Wow!

I know of Christians who live in “community.” I perceive that to mean, they all live in the same house and hold all things common - they own nothing individually. Many years ago I heard about another group in the US living like that, and I wondered what it would be like. I was astounded, I immediately missed my things!

You are not what you own. Yet there are people who judge me based on my things. My car. My clothes. My cell phone. My computer. My TV. My house. The money I make and the job I have that makes it. To them I am the sum of my stuff.

 But, if a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth, what do I do about all my stuff? Even if I reduced my possessions to what would fit in my car, I’m still always thinking about them: “If I get this new item, will it fit in my car?”

Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. But, I have an abundance of things. This raises some questions:

How many things can I have?

How can I possess my things without making them the sum of my life?

Am I covetous?

Am I content? Or, does my happiness depend on my possessions?

These are some serious questions. Or as I would have expressed it when younger, These are some heavy questions. I think it is inevitable that we will accumulate possessions, and I don’t know that you can put a number on how many you can or should have. But these are excellent questions nonetheless. And maybe the last two are the most important.

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

And I haven’t even mentioned giving/sharing.

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

This is what I’ve been thinking as I’ve tried to imagine what it would be like to lose all my possessions at once. For me it’s just wondering, but for Erica it’s a reality.

God had mercy on my child

And now may He give her grace

And wipe those tears from her face

And fill her heart with His love