LEAVING
THE TOYS BEHIND

Topics: Contentment; Goals; Greed; Heaven; Love of Money; Possessions; Rewards; Seeking God; Simplicity

References: Luke 12:13–34; Philippians 4:11–19; Hebrews 10:34; 1 John 3:17

There we were, in love and on the rim of the Grand Canyon on New Year’s Eve. As we watched the sun go down, we remembered the hotel was full and we needed a place to stay.

My husband had a brainstorm. “I’ll bet the ranger at the bottom of the canyon is lonely, especially tonight. Let’s call him and see how he would feel about having guests.”

The ranger’s telephone number was in the book. We dialed, explained our situation, and offered to bring groceries down. Ranger Gary said he and his wife, Gina, would love company.

After an uneventful passage down the curving canyon, we arrived at the bottom. We were invited into the ranger’s large cabin and served a nice dinner. Then Gary and Gina showed us their “sports room.” It was full of abandoned sports equipment—high-class hiking boots, expensive backpacks, fancy hats, and even fancier walking sticks that people had left behind.

“People can walk in easily enough with all of this stuff,” Gary said. “They just can’t walk out.”

—Donna Schaper, All Is Calm (St. Mary’s Press, 1999)