As I have mentioned before. I have 7 children, and in fact, as of just a couple days ago I now have 8. It’s amazing. Our newest addition is Josiah Ephraim. His name means “the Lord is my help” and Ephraim means “double blessing”. Certainly, he is that, as all the children are. Yet, that is not what I wanted to write about. I wanted to recommend a children’s book. My little boys (Noah, Shamus and Shimone and even Shemiel) love listening to me read stories. I have a bit of the actor flare, and they gather around like I was the best television show going. Years ago, my daughters started to read Barbara Parks book “Junie B. Jones” I overheard one on a book on tape and thought the concept was cute. Last week I started to read one of these books a day to the boys. They loved it.
Yesterday, I read Junie B. Jones is a Party Animal. Which is the 10th in that series. I would encourage anyone to read it. It will take about ½ an hour read at roughly Junie B.‘s communication speed. I was hoping I could find a book review that captures what I read, but I am afraid that seems to be difficult. Too many people talk about Barbara Park’s writing style (which is very creative) or general information about the story, but so far almost no one seems to center on the point.
In summary: Junie B. has a friend named Lucille. She lives with her wealthy Nanna. Lucille is self center, and not always a lot of fun, but she is one of Junie B.’s best friends. Junie B convinces Lucille that if she invites her and another friend over for a slumber party they could all help beg the rich Nanna for a poodle for Lucille. Lucille finds this will work.
The house and home is amazing, from “castle-like gate” to crystal and china, and flowers and silk. However, Junie realizes that the “shows” of wealth are in a world that is almost unliveable for her. She breaks a crystal glass, and stains the linen. She doesn’t understand that the amazing stuffed animals are just for looks. You can’t sit on a bed with a silk bedspread.
There are many things to make Lucille a “princess”, but this world makes Junie B. miserable. In the end, she goes and has breakfast of blueberry pancakes with her own Nanna’s house (who isn’t a “Richie Nanna”, and who was described by Junie B. earlier as a “dud”).
Junie B wants a plastic cup, and perhaps a plastic cereal bowl, but it’s not available. Lucille thrills at the wealth and has lived to survive in that environment. Junie B. (the character that we love and embrace) find herself standing away from the table alone eating a banana because that is all that she finds “safe”.
Silly children’s story, a bit like Aesop’s fable about the city mouse and country mouse. Yet, the truth is embedded there. If we choose to amass the images of wealth, we may have conversation pieces. We may have the admiration of some. We may even feel a bit better about our “comfort” with these images of wealth, but what do we really have?
Let’s pretend, I have an original Van Gogh oil painting in my house. It’s hung in the living room and a conversation piece for people. Can the children play in that room? Of course not! They might damage the painting. Do I have to get an incredible security system and extra insurance to protect my fine work of art? Absolutely! I may have to repaint or redesign the living room for my fabulous work of art, and if that happens I should do the same for the rest of the house. It doesn’t take too long before one can see that I am no longer the Master who owns a fine work of art. In fact, I am a servant to a painting from a dead guy. It’s worse then that, the painting (like almost all Van Gogh’s) had almost no value while he was alive. Van Gogh lived in poverty. Sometimes his friends might buy a painting just to make sure he had some money to live on. I didn’t even say whether the “van Gogh” was a painting that was “nice or good”. The value was perceived from others. Amazing… just pause to think. The painting (which could be in fact ugly) has taken me as it’s slave and forced me to live to serve it, and I willingly ran to embrace it.
It’s even scarier then that. This is true of art. It is true of almost all collections. We amass for comfort. We amass for the admiration of others. We buy Curio cabinets to show off our collections. We protect, and encase these dear precious things.
This last month, I heard of a man I knew who has lost his family (and why did they leave?) for many reasons, but one of the items that came out was there really was no room for his wife and his children and his DVD collection.
Jesus (Yeshua) said:
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.”
John the Baptist took the idea further:
“And he answered and said unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath food, let him do likewise.”
The idea is foreign to our world, but we might just find that it is necessary for the salvation of our very soul. Not your normal wealth concept, I know, but I think it might be one that was worthy to share.
