Family Life

On my way out from my motel, earlier this week, I put the little motel shampoo bottle in my bag as a souvenir of my trip. And I left my own big shampoo bottle behind.

It was a new bottle. It was full. I’d put it up front specially so I wouldn’t forget it in the morning. I didn’t forget to pack anything else, just my shampoo. How ironic. How annoying.

Since then (Wednesday night) I’ve been using the little motel shampoo because I didn’t have anything else. It’s not bad, but it’s not the kind I normally use. And it’s tiny. As a memento it has definitely served its purpose. Every time I use it I remember, and pine for the bottle left behind.

Today (Saturday) I bought a new bottle and put them side by side here for your entertainment. What a trade: 300ml of the good stuff for 22ml of some unknown. It wasn’t much of a loss financially, just two or three dollars. It was the principle of the matter. And it reminded me of a verse that’s often heard in this house:

For what benefit is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his life?

Mark 8:36 (NET)

We eagerly set our sights on things of no eternal value, and avidly pursue them until we get them. We feel so pleased to have made the acquisition, and yet one day we’ll look back with regret and realize how worthless those things really were, and how we missed the opportunity to come away with something of true value instead.

But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33 (NET)

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 17th, 2007 at 7:48 pm. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Both comments and pings are currently closed.