Some Things Just Aren't Worth Chasing After
Have you noticed how important our phones have become to all of us. We tend to joke that we feel naked if we don’t have them on our person at all times. Some of us have become so dependent on them that we’re willing to go to great lengths (and falls!) to not be separated from them.
Such was the case when a woman recently dropped her phone in an outhouse latrine at the Olympic National Forest in Washington state.
First, she tried reaching in for it. Then she tried using her dog’s leash to fish it out. When that failed, she dismantled the seat, tried using the leash as a lifeline, and leaned into the hole to dig deeper. And that’s when it happened …
The entire rigging gave way and she plunged head first into the cesspool of waste below. Thankfully, somehow, she found her phone in all that muck and managed to phone 911 for help. But it took two different fire departments considerable time to retrieve her.
The Fire Department medics cautioned her of the health risks of her exposure and contamination, but she declined treatment, opting to just go home in humiliation.
It seems that that which we love, we pursue, but often to our peril — phones, technology, money, even other people.
We must stop and ask ourselves, “Is it worth it?” Will pursuit of this priority bring me health and happiness, or danger and destruction?
Life is a balancing act. Phones can be good things, helpful things. Diving into sewage to save one, not so much.
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34, ESV).
“You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3, ESV).
Where Your Treasure Is
On a hot, July summer day in 2021, a man discovered some 158 bowling balls in his backyard during an outdoor renovation. It was during the demolition, around the back steps of his house, that Olson discovered a black sphere buried in the sand behind some cinder blocks.
"That was one of the bowling balls," he said. "I didn't think a whole lot of it. I was kind of assuming maybe there were just a couple in there just to fill in. The deeper I got into it, the more I realized it was just basically an entire gridwork of them making up the weight in there."
As Olson continued digging, he uncovered ball after ball. It finally clicked how this treasure of rusted, cracked, dirty balls got there. There used to be a bowling ball manufacturing plant nearby in Muskegon, Michigan.
The balls were from the 1950s, which meant they were 80 years old. Although useless as bowling balls, they still had value to some. Olson plans to use the balls as edging for his landscaping or to make sculptures. He has also donated eight balls for use by a church in a bowling ball cannon at a pig roast. His stepfather also plans to use them as custom furniture legs.
In this story, it was the heart of the recipient that determined the value of the treasure. One saw edging for their landscaping, another a bowling ball cannon, and yet another, legs for their furniture. The point is the real value isn't in the treasure we unearth but in how we use it.
Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21).
Remembered
The New York Times carried an obituary of Victor Dorman. It read, "Victor Dorman, who helped change the way Americans buy cheese by putting the paper between the slices, as chairman of the Dorman Cheese Company, died on March 4th, at his home in Delray Beach, Fla. He was 80."
Dorman actually graduated from a prestigious college and fought in WWII. He lived an impressive and successful life. But in the end, it was one quirky little thing that left a lasting impact.
Pay attention to all of the details of your life. The things that you do, big and small, can leave a lasting impact.
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." (1 Peter 4:10).