LXP Lesotho

I am often struck by the richness of our home. Now, if you’ve visited us in Lesotho you are probably confused by what I mean by “rich”. By many standards our house is not fancy or well appointed; it’s simply constructed and most of our furniture is second hand. But that’s exactly why it holds so much value for me. Our sofa came from missionary friends who moved away, and when I sit on it I remember precious visits to their home where on that very couch we nursed babies, watched movies, and chatted late into the night. Our beautiful hutch was in the home of other missionary friends who’ve moved away, and I remember it in their home with beautiful hand made decorations, a laptop that held in-progress bible commentary, and kids art work.

The desk, the bookshelf, the blanket, the painting, the table….all hold rich memories of people we love. We’ve received many second hand clothing items from friends and when we wear them we are reminded of times together and feel loved, seen and cared for in personal ways. The “you have to read this!!” books we’ve been given, the “our kids loved these when they were that age” toys, and the “this was such a powerful bible study” workbooks are testimonies of God’s love for us through his people. In turn, every time we are blessed with something, it reminds us to be on the look out for ways to bless others. We clean out our closets so we can share clothes with our neighbours and we clean out our bins so someone else can enjoy what brought us so many fun moments.

In a world full of NEW AND IMPROVED!! versions of everything, how committed are we to living generously? Are we caught up in pursuit the next best thing, or are we living simply and slowly enough to be able to look around and appreciate the richness of living contained in what we already have? Do we take time to listen to others and really see them where they are so we can bless them with the perfect gift to meet a need or remind them how much they are loved? The bling of this world is beautiful and God loves when we enjoy his creation, but it is so fleeting. Our resources are finite, so the way we invest them matters. May we be content and compelled to store up treasure in heaven while valuing the richness God has entrusted to us to enjoy in this earthly life.

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19