To everything turn, turn, turn, . .
These are the opening lyrics of an old song based on Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8
I thought of the song last week when a friend announced she was moving houses. Downsizing. I dislike that word, with its suggestion of less. It is implied that the downsized life will be smaller than the life before. When companies "downsize," people lose their jobs. I prefer "resize." After all, our whole lives are a progression of resizing in one way or another.
A baby leaves his crib and resizes to a room of his own. A student resizes from the family home to take up a place in residence, or perhaps in a basement suite. The young professional resizes from a cubicle to a corner office. The grandmother resizes from a big house to enjoy life in a no-maintenance dwelling. The retired couple resizes from a suburban property to a downtown condo.
With each move, life changes but it needn't be "less" than what went before.
We held a memorial service at church this week and the family talked of the many houses their mother had inhabited. Some were in remote spots, some were in the city. Some were rustic, others had all the conveniences. What mattered wasn't the "mansion" she lived in. What mattered were the people she loved, the interests she pursued and the faith that sustained her in all circumstances.
Throughout our lives we will all inhabit "many mansions." We will re-size according to what fits our needs at various times.
What joy to know, that when we come to the end, there will be a room prepared for us by Christ, a room that will be perfect in every way. A mansion just the right size for our eternal life. John l4: 1-4
These are the opening lyrics of an old song based on Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8
I thought of the song last week when a friend announced she was moving houses. Downsizing. I dislike that word, with its suggestion of less. It is implied that the downsized life will be smaller than the life before. When companies "downsize," people lose their jobs. I prefer "resize." After all, our whole lives are a progression of resizing in one way or another.
A baby leaves his crib and resizes to a room of his own. A student resizes from the family home to take up a place in residence, or perhaps in a basement suite. The young professional resizes from a cubicle to a corner office. The grandmother resizes from a big house to enjoy life in a no-maintenance dwelling. The retired couple resizes from a suburban property to a downtown condo.
With each move, life changes but it needn't be "less" than what went before.
We held a memorial service at church this week and the family talked of the many houses their mother had inhabited. Some were in remote spots, some were in the city. Some were rustic, others had all the conveniences. What mattered wasn't the "mansion" she lived in. What mattered were the people she loved, the interests she pursued and the faith that sustained her in all circumstances.
Throughout our lives we will all inhabit "many mansions." We will re-size according to what fits our needs at various times.
What joy to know, that when we come to the end, there will be a room prepared for us by Christ, a room that will be perfect in every way. A mansion just the right size for our eternal life. John l4: 1-4
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