It has been about 3 weeks since our family finished our 'holidays' (I mean the time that my school teacher husband returned to work). I actually worked 2 days/ week during our 'holiday' time, and both Matt and I worked 7 days at home, as always. Still, there was something a little bit more relaxing about the 'holidays'.
You know how it goes with holidays. You stay up later. You sleep in just a little (as much as young children allow). You get out of routine. Sometimes, you lose your focus.
I think this happened for me these holidays. I got completely out of the habit of regular prayer and Bible reading. I spent more time than usual watching movies/ TV (which still wasn't that much, but my usual is almost never...). I spent a lot of time online.
I spent a lot of time dreaming and scheming about this type of thing:
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| Who wouldn't want a verandah like this? |
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| Or an eat-in kitchen like this? |
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| Or a library...? |
There is nothing wrong with any of this. But, as I surfed (the net) and admired and dreamed and schemed the discontentment started to creep in... The thoughts began; "My house is so small. My house is so old. Do we need to do an extension? Should we knock our house down and start again? Maybe we should move...? What will be the best thing for our kids?" (Note: mostly moot points since we can't afford to do any of the above right now!)
But what a relief to get back into God's word and recall:
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6: 19-21
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:20-21
Our house may be old, but even new houses attract moth, and rust, and termites and thieves. (We have frustratingly already seen how things age or are never quite right, even in things we bought new only 8-9 months ago). Our house may be small, but it is not our real home. We are residents of Sydney, but truly citizens of heaven.
Heaven will mean no deterioration, and no lack of space. But, most of all, there will be Jesus, who will take the discontent and the envy and make us truly content. He will take our feeble, weak minds and bodies and make them like his. And, that is what is really worth dreaming and 'scheming' about.
