THIS IS OF NO VALUE TO ME

 

When I drive around the Province, along functioning and non-functioning farm yards, I see old buildings  falling apart. The old barn has not had a coat of paint for at least thirty years. Old sheds have open doors that indicate that the doors are not closable. Drive through many of the little villages and you see many old houses falling apart.

 

Very recently, a young professional woman in her early thirties was offered the fine China sets of her grandmother and great-grand mother. In past generations, a set of fine China wear was a sign of wealth and prestige. The young woman responded to the offer of her mother to the two sets of very good China wear: “I don’t want them!”

 

In all these situations people are making a clear statement. “This old China set and these old buildings are of no value to me” Most people just walk away and leave these things crumble into decay.

 

We bring the same attitude toward our relationships and our participation in the community at large. We may be very involved in the political process when we were younger but have become disillusioned and now keep our distance towards any type of political commitment. “This is no longer of any value to me!”

 

We were good friends through high school and the college years but then he married a classmate and all their involvement is on her side of the family. His marriage jus whittled away any chance to continue the friendship. Now with his complete focus on the in-law side of his family and his history, there are only memories of good friendship in the past. Today there can be no involvement in continuing the friendship because “This is no longer of any value to me!”

 

We used to be very involved in an active prayer life. We continued to have the discipline towards daily prayer that we received from our parents, but life got busy and more independent that we no longer feel the conviction that prayer actually has anything to offer my life. When it comes down to the bottom line of using my daily energy, prayer “no longer has any value to me!”

 

Follow through on the image of driving the roads of Saskatchewan. What parts of your own life are no longer of any use to you? To answer this question honestly does not mean that all the time what we have discontinued is negative. There are many things in life that we must let go of and move on.

 

But there are valuable relationships and values that we have allowed to diminish. Answering this question will alert us to what we have lost along the way.

 

What part of our family life needs new bridges built, a reaching out to rebuild friendships and a strong sense of connection?

 

What part of our religious upbringing and our share in the life of the Church have we let fall, but now need to reconnect?

 

These old, decaying buildings have spurred me on to ask in my own life and relationships, “And what no longer has value for me?”