Open Hand Living

Before we moved from Nevada, we gave away lots of our furniture to my friend, Connie and her family. 

Connie was incredulous that I could release tables and recliners--nice stuff--so freely, but I told her I like Open Hand Living. You know, where you picture your house and its insides upon your opened palms--not all scrunched-up in your closed fists.

With Open Hand Living, you are grateful for what is yours, but you realize you don't actually own anything. At least, not forever. Things might be taken from you or you may outgrow that gaudy lamp you once loved because now you have taste. シ 

You may misplace favorite photos, drop money or gloves out of your pocket or accidentally shatter that heirloom fruit bowl. You might realize your friend or child loves your favorite candlesticks even more than you do, so you release them to her, instead.

Or God might even ask you to give away much of your furniture and books and move to a whole other state for unknown purposes and adventures.

I realize many people love being sentimentally and mystically attached to their homes, furniture, pets and their favorite restaurants and shops and all their stuff. But I'm finding that I'm happiest when I can gaze at everything and realize, in truth, I own nothing. Someday I will sail away from my house and all I 'own' and I'll travel to meet God-- grasping not one single thing inside my hands.

And perhaps I'm preparing for that now in tiny ways. I like the peeks of who I am apart from all my stuff. When I stand before God, it won't be beside a box marked 'trinkets'. True, I'll not miss my stuff there in Heaven, but it worries me how my heart gets all flutter-panicky when I consider letting go of a few favorite things/people now.

In this autumn of my life may I cultivate this inside area of my heart with love, mercy and understanding, because that's all I'm taking with me. There's a whole different form of currency in Heaven-- there's a whole other kind of wealth up there.



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