The Money Pit

Remember the Tom Hanks movie by that name? It was a disaster story -- everything that could go wrong did go wrong with their picture perfect house. I laughed at the movie. Now my house is 17 years old and I am not laughing any more.

In the past two weeks I have washed down the fascia and soffits with bleach (mildew), painted the fascia and soffits, painted half the windows, painted the shutters, replaced one window sill starting to rot due to moisture damage, and the list of projects is still a mile long.

While here on earth we need heavy duty maintenance -- on houses 17 years old (or younger or older) and even bodies 55 years old (or younger or older). We need heavy duty maintenance to try to make the things of this world last for their anticipated life span. It is not that these things are eternal -- they will all pass away -- houses, cars, furniture, computers, internet, and our bodies. A little maintenance and things will age more gracefully. But we need more than paint or even major body work. We need a new life and a new home.

Thanks be to God who gives us just that -- a new life in which death is not the end and a place to dwell (without regular maintenance needed) that is eternal. This is the rich blessing of the Savior who promises mansions (rooms) prepared for us. This is the wonderful news of a crucified Lord who speaks to the guilty thief next to Him "Today, with Me, in Paradise..." This is what gives hope to the maintenance modes we live in for now -- some day, by the grace of God, the promise will be fulfilled, and me and my life will be transformed... the old will have passed away and the new (read that the eternal) will have come.

I am tired of painting. Can't come too soon for me.