This Old House
a Saturday Story
{Welcome to Saturday! Today’s Saturday Story is not as much as story as it is a reflection on life. There is a devotional tone to it, but it isn’t tied to a specific Biblical text. I hope you find it helpful.}
Driving through rural Kansas, I passed an old house that caught my eye. Not because of what it was, but because of what it had once been.
You’ve seen them too—those abandoned homesteads scattered across the prairie. Roof sagging, porch collapsed, weeds claiming the yard. Empty windows stare blankly at the wind.
I always slow down when I see one. I can’t help but imagine what once happened there. That house, now silent and broken, was once somebody’s dream. Somebody claimed that plot of earth, plowed the soil, and built a home with their own two hands. The day it was finished must have been a moment of joy. A family moved in. Kids ran barefoot with dogs in the yard. Meals were eaten around a table. Laughter echoed off the walls. Prayers were prayed. Life was lived.
And then, slowly, it stopped.
A generation grew up and wanted something else. Somewhere else. One by one, they left. The ones who stayed behind got older. Eventually, they died. What couldn’t be taken was sold off. The windows were nailed shut. The doors closed. And the house that once held so much life was left empty.
All that remains is a shell. Weathered wood, wind-blown memories, and a faint echo of what once was.
I thought about that house for a long time. And about how everything we build eventually ends up that way—whether it’s a home, a business, or a body. Time wears it down.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t enjoy the good things we have. Scripture tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from above. There’s nothing wrong with receiving those gifts with gratitude and even joy.
But don’t cling too tightly.
Everything here has an expiration date. Houses crumble. Cars rust. Treasures fade. Even strong hands grow weak.
If you want something that will last—and you should—take Jesus at His word: Lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven.
That’s the only place things don’t fall apart. The only place moth and rust can’t touch.
Everything else is just passing through the prairie.
Amen