At the scene of a disastrous house fire, a television news journalist interviewed a woman who had lost her home and all her belongings. “How are you doing?” he asked. She responded, “Well, everything is gone, but we’re OK. No one was hurt. We still have our family, and that’s what really matters.”
Of course, there was sorrow at the loss of treasured possessions, but this woman was still able to feel gratitude for what remained. She knew that material things come and go, but the people around us, the intangibles of life, matter most.
Deep down, we all know that. But sometimes our property and possessions get more of our attention than they deserve. Because material things are widely advertised and promoted, we tend to pursue them with zeal; because friends and family members are forgiving and loyal, we sometimes take them for granted.
We are right to be thankful for the comforts and conveniences that surround us, but it’s good to remember that with the spark from a match, a rush of wind, or a torrent of water, all of those familiar things can be taken away in a moment. Despite the grief that victims of disasters feel, they often realize that the material things they have lost are far less important to them than they ever knew. As one observer put it, “Things are just things.”1
Even if we lose the very roof over our heads, our loss can be softened by the embrace of loved ones who are still there to support and comfort us. Material goods can be replaced, or life can go on without them. If we still have our friends, our family, and our faith, then we have what really matters.
1 Michael Josephson, “Things Are Just Things,” http://www.charactercounts.org/michael/2007/09/things_are_just_things_5304.html
Program #4088