clarifying fog

"Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it."--Psalm 39:6

The morning fog descending over the earth like a thick blanket has cleared my hazy head.

Lately, my thoughts and priorities have been all mixed up in my mind. I've been pinning after things, and I am not sure if it is a "nesting" instinct, or just the materialism that has subtly taken root. In any case, I have found myself longing for us to sell our house so that we can move into a more spacious place, as it is "impossible" for us to entertain in cramped quarters. I have been longing for new furniture, stainless steel kitchen gadgets, and the latest baby gear. I have found myself giving into a lie that my son will not grow or develop properly if he doesn't have the latest "glider", a black and white mobile for him to track with his eyes, or a bumbo that he can practice sitting in...things, things, things. These "things" have occupied my mind as of late.

But not this morning.

At six A.M. Ryan and I packed up Thomas and drove a precious friend to the airport (the lady who set us up--an amazing women of God). For sixty minutes we marveled at the beauty of the earth--the low laying clouds surrounding us, the beauty of the morning dew on the corn fields, and the glow of the orange sun--breathtaking. And during those minutes, being surrounded by loved ones, I felt incredibly wealthy. The Lord reminded me how rich I have been this past summer. He has reminded me that all that I thought was not possible, he made possible.

This summer we entertained my family in our tiny house! We had seven of us in this little place, and although it was bursting at the seams, it was filled with love. For the first ten weeks of his life, Thomas has had people to hold and love him. He hardly needed the baby gear and gadgets we thought he so desperately needed. God has reminded me that the need for space and things is overrated. Perhaps Asian societies have something we don't have--community. Most of the world lives in cramped quarters--are they lacking in love? Many babies grow up just playing with family and extended family--are they lacking in development?

It's amazing how the beauty of fog can clear ones head. This morning I read in the Psalms that "each man's life is but a breath...man is a mere phantom" (Ps.39). In essence, I am like the fog that descends on the earth ever so briefly and than vanishes away as quickly as it appeared. With that in mind, I don't want to invest in things that will fade away. I don't want immense space with no one to occupy it. I desire to invest in eternal things--God and people.