[Note: perhaps you’ve noticed that my blogging has slowed a bit. Today’s thoughts will provide some explanation.]
We’re moving again–about 10 days ago we purchased a house in McAlester and almost immediately succeeded in selling our home in Edmond. (God is good!) The only problem is that the buyers want to close at the end of the month. From past experience, I know at least this one thing–the next 10 days are going to be a whirlwind! A few years ago, an article by John Gipson quoted an ad, “Moving is like getting a root canal with a ‘Garden Weasel.'” Moving provides insights and lessons to be learned.
Jan and I have not moved much, as the experience of preachers goes. After working with three churches in the first 6 years of our ministry, we spent 26 years in three places–local ministry in two churches and seven years in Christian higher education at Ohio Valley University. Moving is not fun, but we have learned something of how to do it. We have also learned a lot of other things. Here is some of what we have learned.
Moving helps one travel light. The moving process keeps the accumulation down. The net weight of our move will be about the same as for a couple of recent newlyweds almost 40 years ago–and considerably less than a couple of moves during the “growing years” when the boys were at home. (Preachers don’t count their books, however. I always move my own library.) Through the years, there are a few things we’ve been tempted to buy but did not when we thought, “We don’t want to have to move that!” It is easy to forget that we are only pilgrims and strangers here–that our sojourn is temporary. Moving is a reminder.
Moving brings one face to face with the fact that we spend a lot of money for things that don’t satisfy very long. About two years after we married, we bought a new sofa–an expensive, high-quality, hide-a-bed. It may have looked a little nicer than the hand-me-down sectional we were using, but it didn’t sit any better. But, that sofa is still in the family after 38 years–it went to our middle son about four years ago. It’s heavy to move, but it refuses to wear out. Moving provides an opportunity for cleaning house, which is exactly why some people dread moving. I’ve noticed that after people move into a place, their garbage pile is extremely large. It is not comfortable to come face to face with how much money we have wasted on things that don’t matter.
Anticipating moves changes priorities. A few years ago, we decided that we would go through life accumulating memories rather than things. We have a few light and inexpensive mementos of our travels, and most of those things are gifts that represent special people in our Christian journey. Our goal is not to accumulate expensive things, but valued memories.
Moving reminds one that the things we often value here are temporary and fleeting. The only things that matter as we think back on our moves and ministries are the people. This world is about people. What we remember about the places we have lived is the people. It is not the house, the surroundings, the things. People enrich our lives far beyond the material things we can accumulate.
The article by Gipson concluded with the poignant words of Kipling with reference to worldly things. “Some day you will meet a man of such stature that he will care for none of these things…and then you will realize how poor you are.” Jesus said it this way, “This is the way it is with the man who accumulates things for himself, but is not rich toward God.”