House hunting and spirituality.


A few months ago we decided we needed to shift house. Various reasons precipitated this decision and we put the word out among friends and agents alike. What followed was a frustrating few months wherein we encountered the reality of inflation within the property sector of our economy. What we needed seemed to hover just outside our budget and what we could afford hovered just outside our needs. The whole time though (because we seemed so agonizingly close to finding a new home) we left things at home go unrepaired or not dealt with. After a few weeks of inspecting houses and meeting landlords we were mentally prepared for a new place. We stopped really caring too much about our house and were thinking of the new place. Furniture needed to be bought, things needed painting or repair but everything and every investment was put off till we moved to our new place. It’s the 4th month running and we've not yet moved!!!

Before this becomes a rant let me share a lesson I learned as I meditated on this season of life. I realised that there was a big difference between “living in” and “abiding in”. For the past few months we have been “living in” our house. It served its purpose of sheltering us but we didn't care much for it because our eyes were fixed on something we were waiting for. To abide means so much than just to live in or be present at. It means to feel at home in; to value and give time to. Now that we didn't find a new place, we decided it was time to start abiding in our current place again. Furniture that was needed has been ordered, things are slowly getting fixed and there’s a sense of home slowly finding its way back into our present address.

God calls us to abide in Him, not to just take temporary shelter while His presence serves our needs. In our time interacting with scripture and our time spent in prayer do we find ourselves abiding and being at home in His presence – even when we feel no immediate need in our own life? Let’s be abiders and not just squatters – for a life that abides in Him is a life that bears fruit, fruit that lasts. (John 15).

Comments

Sreeja Phirose said…
We've had an equally unlucky time trying to find a new place...jus as u said we were livin in here.never bot too much furniture coz we thot we were goin to shift nyway.will buy for the new place..we too shud now focus on abidin in...
October 9, 2012 at 8:44 PM
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