2007-03-14 - Vacation Memory

Several years ago, Dana and I went on vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains. We stopped for the night at a place I thought I had stayed at as a child. The brochure looked like the place I remembered. But there was only one problem. The brochure hadn't been updated since I stayed there in the 70's and it looked like that was when the place had last seen an update too. The pool was drained and looking real rough. The family style restaurant had been closed down for years. And the hotel rooms were lime colored cinder block on the outside - and on the inside. The bathroom was separated from the bed area by a half wall of block and metal poles. It looked a lot like a prison cell albeit a furnished one like those in Mayberry. But we decided to make the best of it.

Later that day we found a local hardware store and bought paint and some new windows. After painting the walls and replacing the painted shut single pane window with one of those pricey double pane windows with the blinds built in. While I installed the window, Dana ran to a store that sold linens and rugs. There she purchased some fantastic new bed linens, thick oversized towels, and a beautiful hand-woven rug. By the end of the day we had a place that we felt was at least livable so we called it a day.

But we got up early the next day and I got right on updating the electrical wiring so we could safely hook up a fifty-inch projection TV and satellite dish. I even had time to wire-up a surround sound system. We also decided that the paint just wasn't enough to disguise those cinderblock walls so that afternoon we did a faux finish to really mask those joint lines.

The place was finally perfect but then our stay ended.

Does this story sound a little absurd to you? Yeah, me too. Truthfully, we really did stay in the lime green prison motel. But we'd have had to be out of our minds to put all our time and money into a place we only stayed at for a few days. We did by some Indian decorative items but it was for our real home or at least for what we often think of as our real one.

John 12:25 - He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

John 17:16-18 (NIV) - They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

1 Peter 2:11 (NIV) - Dear friends, you are outsiders and strangers in this world. So I'm asking you not to give in to your sinful longings. They fight against your soul.

Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: ²⁰ But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: ²¹ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

1 Timothy 6:7 - For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

As Christians, the homes we have here are not our real home. Jesus is preparing it for us now. Will you spend all your time making this one nice or will you send "materials" on ahead. (See 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.) You choose to build up your hotel room here or your heavenly home with your actions and priorities.

IHFHBOH
Adam

adam@cfdevotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotionals.org

All verses are from KJV except where otherwise noted