POSSESSIONS grip in life because
we, as people, were made to possess things. The irony is we possess nothing when we
die but our soul.
Certainly our penchant to possess
can warp into idolatry when our grip tightens, and addiction and abuse are only two
examples of binds that bury us and/or others in burden. Yet, not all
possessions are so unhelpful.
I’ve been
captivated to watch my four-year-old son with his belongings of late. Not the
toys he’s received as gifts, but the things he’s made himself or accumulated. A
keyring. A do-not-disturb sign. A biplane made from pop-sticks. A frisbee. A
precious notepad and sharpened pencil. A Bible; one without pictures. A mobile
we made together. A set of paper plates. He’s always been most captivated by
the obscurest things. They’re so special to him.
He
possesses these things. And whether he holds them for a day or two or months
matters little to him. These accoutrements play a vital role in his play.
The life
that small children bring to life is a perspective that invites wisdom. It’s
not as if possessions that are important to others are important to them. There’s
no comparison (apart from the unconscious modelling of their parents’ lives).
There’s an intrinsic importance to these items that neither he can describe, nor
we can explain. And the creative world of a pre-schooler continues to baffle
the marketer.
What ‘toys’
make their way into his favourite things tomorrow is anyone’s guess. But I
praise God that he chooses, through criterion unknown even to him, and
certainly devoid of anyone else’s influence.
If only my
creativity were so impervious to outside influence! If only my passions were so
free of a consciousness beyond myself.
A small
child’s creative play is beyond the comparison of envy. Ours can be, too.
Imagine if only it were so. The freedom we could live as we reside in that
creative space.
It’s
important in life to possess the right things for the right reasons at the
right time, and certainly not to be possessed by things.
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