Discontented Home-Owner Becomes Content After ...

Discontented Home-owner Becomes Content After Realtor Describes House in Ad

A home-owner was tired of his house. He’d lived there for many years, and he more he looked around at the house, the years, the neighbourhood, the more he wanted to be somewhere else. His critical eyes saw things that needed doing everywhere, and so he decided it was time to sell and move on.

So he hired a professional realtor to come and look the place over, give him some pointers and begin advertising the home for sale, and at the same time asked them to find a suitable new home for him to purchase.

The realtor took some notes, suggested some basic clean-up of the home and then went back to the office to produce the ads that would run in the paper and online. But before they were sent out, the realtor wanted the owner to approve the copy, so she brought a copy of the ads to the home owner for their approval. On arriving to the house, she sat down with the man and read the newspaper ad to him, ‘Spacious home in well looked-after condition, no reno’s required here. Bright rooms, with lots of windows, a comfortable living area, solid foundation, good roof; simple yet pleasant garden and lots of open grassy back yard for the family to enjoy. A lovely deck for evenings of entertaining friends or sitting quietly to watch the sun set over the park. Located in a safe, quiet neighbourhood with all amenities close by. Come and see for yourself all that this home has to offer. Won’t last long on the market, come quickly. Offered at $-----.’ And she gave the price.

“Read it again,” said the home owner…’more slowly.’ She did, and the owner soaked up every word about the house, then told her not to place the ads, ‘That’s everything I’ve always wanted in a home, I’m going to stay right here.’

Have you ever wished you were someone else’s place, or a different place altogether? Have you ever thought what it would be like to be in the ‘perfect place’? What is that place to you? For me, and maybe for you too, it’s in heaven, with Jesus. The apostle Paul thought that too, but he also wrestled with that thought, why? Let’s look at some more from his letter to the Philippians and read about what was going on in his life that made him wonder about such things. Turn to Philippians 1, verses 12-26 with me.

From a sermon by Steven Buhr, Heaven or Here?, 11/12/2009