Crystal glasses and cherished memories – December 11
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 30, 32; PM Psalm 42, 43; Haggai 2:1-9; Rev. 3:1-6; Matt. 24:1-14
As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’ (Matthew 24:1-2)
Yesterday morning after the kids went to school, I got a bee in my bonnet: we were missing some ornaments and I was determined to find them. Sam had unpacked most of the Christmas decorations, and still, the white pine in our living room was missing some of the precious pieces that traditionally adorn our tree. I headed to one of our storage spots, the crawl space in the basement. Sam gave me a word of warning, “Don’t look to closely down there!”; evidently the unfinished part of our basement also doubles as a hiding nook for Christmas gifts!
We made it a team effort. While sifting and sorting, Sam came across a wet cardboard box. And another. Our hunt for Christmas ornaments shifted to dealing with some manner of basement water intrusion. Boxes of precious memories were soaked and there was the unmistakable smell of mold as I looked through the contents. Stationery and papers stuck together and disintegrating; photographs ruined; linens stained; crystal wine glasses and goblets – though two were broken. Sam pondered with frustration how the boxes could have gotten so wet, as he had placed them in large plastic yard bags to prevent damage. He turned on faucets, examined pipes, with no signs of leakage. The best we can figure, the flooding from October’s huge storms caused the lowest parts of our crawlspace to have a bit of water – and those two boxes were in just the wrong spot.
Some of the contents of the boxes were salvageable. Linens have been washed with Oxi-Clean. Crystal has been washed, dried, and moved onto a shelf in the kitchen. Most papers were beyond help. Sam and I dumped the remainder into the trash – wedding photos, notes to one another, family documents, etc. It was a sad, disappointing moment.
There are times that I make temples out of the physical fixtures in life…a rug that belonged to my mom, a table from my childhood, a Valentine’s Day card from 2007, a Waterford crystal glass. All of those things will pass away. Only love remains. Jesus was teaching his friends this lesson in Matthew 24. The temple, a highly esteemed gathering place, was not everlasting. Jerusalem, the city of promise, was still filled with unrealized hopes. Because God’s work is beyond the realm of the here and now. The rocks and boxes and goblets we cling to will fall away. Jesus tells his disciples this hard lesson. The goal for their ministry was beyond the temple, and outside the walls of Jerusalem. The ever-moving love of God would take them far and wide.
That love still stirs us. Moves us. Stretches us. So that we let go of the boxes that encumber us. So that we make room for the joy that God promises. So that we cast our eyes up and around us, rather than upon our own fleeting existence.
Advent is an invitation to reflect and simplify. I pray that your reason for cleaning out is less grounded in mold and mess, than it is a desire to remove the distractions that clutter your connection with God.
-- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
Where is a space in need of decluttering in your life?
What do you have boxed up, in your attic? In your basement? In your heart?
Daily Challenge
Find a box that needs to be cleaned out. Take the time to appreciate the contents. Re-read Matthew 24:1-14. Then, let go of what you can set aside. Find a new place in your home for what you value – rather than keeping it tucked away.