Monday
Jan122009
The Burden of Possessions
Monday, January 12, 2009 at 10:40AM I'm re-reading A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken. I first read this book twenty years ago, and should have returned to it before now. Here is one section that has always stuck with me:
Over-valued possessions, we decided, were a burden possessing their owners. We decided to own nothing that we couldn't be comfortable with - reproductions not originals, cheap bindings not rare editions. This idea of the burden of possessions we held to - and years later when we got our first glossy new car, we hit it severely with a hammer to make it comfortably dented.
Reader Comments (1)
It's true... the way I see this the most clearly is when people with nice 'stuff' have kids. Everything the child does, the parents have to say, 'Don't touch that! Don't go there! Put that down! I said no touch!' And heaven forbid if the child should be a child and accidentally break something by playing with it! I'm so grateful that the Lord didn't bless my wife and me with great wealth before we had children (or after for that matter!). All of our 'stuff' is paid for and replaceable. That gives us great freedom to love our kids more than our stuff and give them the freedom to explore and make them feel like our home is theirs as well--not just mommy & daddy's.