Some years ago, when I lived in Chicago, I found that there were many new big houses with three or four car garages in the suburbs at the time of housing bubble in America. And I wondered why people would need those three or four car garages.
Of course, I understood very well that many of us have too many things and use our garages for storage rather than keeping cars in them. We love our things even if we do not use or need them for a while, sometimes many years or maybe even never using them again.
I found an interesting article and wanted to share it with others.
Once children grow up and leave the nest, many parents choose to downsize. These couples discover that they really don’t need big houses, so they move from single-family homes to townhouses or condos. But in recent years, a significant number of empty-nesters are doing the exact opposite: They are upsizing, to make room for visiting children and grandchildren.
One couple said they really wanted a small house once their adult kids moved out of their 4,000-square-foot home. But in the end, they couldn’t do it. They wanted to spend time with their grandchildren. This experience was more important to them than a smaller house.
Yes, many empty-nesters are upsizing — three in 10, according to a recent Merrill Lynch report. There is certainly nothing wrong with retirees wanting to be hospitable to their children and grandchildren. But as their houses get bigger, they often include rooms for crafts and sewing, along with home offices and “man caves.” Parents who have spent years taking care of children now want to splurge a little, so they add a big outdoor space with a built-in grill, a dream kitchen or a huge bathroom. Such bathrooms can end up being the fanciest rooms in the house, with saunas, double showers, hot tubs and televisions.
In contrast, you may find an interesting story from the Gospel of Luke.
“Then [Jesus] told them a parable: A rich man’s land was very productive. He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared — whose will they be?’ “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21 CSB).
It’s contrary to seemingly everything in our culture, but the more we divest ourselves of ourselves, the better our lives get. Jesus told us as much. He said if we’d give up our lives, for His sake, we’d find real life. When we surrender our perceived “rights,” when we let go of our attempts to manipulate, we find — surprise! — joy.
When empty-nesters build bigger homes to hold their possessions, they run the risk of acting like rich fools. We are better to be rich toward God and store riches for seeking God’s will and helping others in need.
— Reflections appears regularly on the religion page. The column features a variety of local writers, coordinated through the Monroe Area Clergy Group. Rev. Don Kim is pastor of Monroe United Methodist Church.
