I have been the pastor of Orangeburg Lutheran now for over a year, and the house my family and I moved from is still vacant.
It's the real estate market, of course. Right after we moved to Orangeburg, the value of homes plummeted, and nothing much is selling now except for foreclosures and houses that are nearly in foreclosure. Because of market conditions, I've not been terribly quick to move completely out of our old house -- we still have a few pieces of furniture and some boxes of stuff, some old clothes and the like. But Advent has given me an opportunity to reflect on the way our possessions can tie us down and distract us from our proper focus on God.
Even after the repairs and new paint and new carpet we've done since we moved, the unsold house continues to drag on our lives with its weight. The house must still be maintained, utility bills paid, yard work finished, and so on. What was once our home now surely serves at times as a distraction from my calling as a pastor, and, just as surely, as a competitor for time that otherwise would be spent with God.
It's a powerful reminder for my family and me that "the world" can be too much with us. Simplicity of life is a goal that is more important to me now than ever. Whatever your circumstances, I commend greater simplicity of life to you for your consideration as well.
Blessings,
Pastor Garry
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Dear Garry, brother in Christ, it has been said that misery loves company and in some sense it is true. Christina and I moved from our house in Sumter in August of 2007. The house sat vacant until July of 2009 when we finally were able to secure a renter after trying to sell it with only one offer in all that time that was 45000 dollars under the appraised value. I truly understand what you mean in the above post. Perhaps the two of us could commit to mutual prayers, seriously.
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