Moving House

Spring is traditionally the time to sell one’s house. A walk round the neighbourhood reveals a number of “For Sale” boards. In fact, one of our neighbours is seeking to move house. As they have a young and growing family I suppose need a bigger house to accommodate them all. Their present house has been on the market for some while now although they have had several viewings. It is never easy trying to find the right house to call your home. I remember travelling miles and looking at a large number of houses before we settled on this one.  In a way the children of Israel were a bit like that; wandering in the desert for forty years before finding a proper home, the land that the Lord had promised for them, “a land flowing with milk and honey”(Exodus 3:8). Like the Israelites of old I think that our young neighbours have now found what they are looking for in a newly built house not too far away so the children can attend the same school as at present.

When you get to my age the very idea of moving house fills me with horror. After all we have lived in this house for over forty years and are quite settled here. The thought of packing up all our belongings and “downsizing”; disposing of those things that have not seen the light of day for many years is quite depressing. (Do we really need all those old books and papers?) Nevertheless, at some stage we will all be called to our Eternal Home; and the wisest of us knows not how soon that may be, but it is getting closer!

However, we can take comfort from this morning’s first reading which speaks of a world renewed, “See, I am creating new heavens and a new earth...  Indeed, I am creating Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight...” Isaiah 65:17-18.

So if God is creating a new home for us, then we must get on with the job of preparing ourselves for it by getting rid of all the clutter and trappings of this materialistic world; those things which appear to be of great value but in truth add little or nothing to our lives. When downsizing we come to realize that there is no room for much of the old stuff in the new home.  So will it be with our Eternal Home. We will not be able to take the trappings of the old world with us. There will, though be room for those of us who accept God’s infinite love and mercy; for those of us who turn to Him seeking His forgiveness for past sins; for those of us who can say with Thomas  “My Lord and my God” John 20:28.

​What are you waiting for? Get rid of the clutter now and concentrate on what really matters; your spiritual well being!