The joke is told about a man who was in a terrible car wreck. He had been thrown clear of the auto and was standing, somewhat dazed, on the side of the road. He was looking mournfully at his new automobile, now just a poke of twisted, smoldering metal and plastic.
"Oh my Beemer, my beautiful Beemer . . ." he moaned as a motorist stopped to help.
"Was anyone else in the car?" the good Samaritan asked.
"No, but look at my car, my brand new BMW. . ."
The rescuer, finding out that no one else was hurt began to take stock of the driver. To his horror he noticed that the man's left arm had been severed between the elbow and the wrist. He stood cradling the stump and mourned the loss of his luxury sedan.
The passer-by could finally stand the irony no longer.
"Shut up about your stupid car. Look at your arm."
Turning his gaze from the ruined auto to the remains of his left arm the accident victim didn't miss a beat. "Oh, my Rolex, my beautiful gold Rolex . . ."
I've seen scenes, not unlike that, played out. In a time of great tragedy or crisis the fact that the most important thing to a person was, indeed, just a thing became clear. More often I've observed the syndrome being played out over time. I've been in houses that looked ready for a photo-shoot for Better Homes and Gardens, where children lived, lonely and ignored. I've known men who worked so hard at making a good living that they had no time or energy for building a worthwhile life. Perhaps it could be said about our society that . . .
never have so many had so much
and enjoyed it so little.
We are like the prosperous farmer in Jesus Story. We see our stuff as the end, rather than the means to--and often not even the chief means to--an end. Jesus didn't leave on our own in drawing the moral from His parable. He introduced his story this way, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” And finished it with, "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Accounting is not one of my favorite things to do. Some of my number-crunching friends will sometimes come at me with their spread-sheets and charts. I'll ask them, is it a :) or a :(?
This man's balance sheet resulted in a big, red frowny face.
What about you?
Is there anything in your life that feeds your soul?
Are you doing anything that will still be important in Eternity?
Are you focusing on what really matters?
I hope you will find it to be . . .
Something to Think About. | 
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