By Beth Blamick 
A loud crash echoed from the other room, interrupting my kitchen duties that morning. Seconds before, I’d been enjoying the raucous laughter of two of my kids as they bounded down the stairs, one in pursuit of the other. Now—there was dead silence—no crying, not even the sound of fleeing footsteps. I had to assume there were no injuries.
As I rounded the corner, there lay my antique, double-globed lamp in shattered pieces on the hardwood floor, near two frightened children standing in stunned silence. At first, I wanted to yell and scream, then, I wanted to cry. Instead, I calmly told my kids to back up onto the stairs while I got the broom. I cleaned up the broken pieces of my beloved lamp—yet another casualty of a home full of kids—and proceeded to have a serious follow-up talk with them.
Many items have been broken in our home over the years: lamps, glasses, plates, nativity figurines, one particularly special porcelain angel band, and other items. These incidents were usually from kids being kids, getting a little too rambunctious inside the house, or things accidentally dropped from little hands. It was upsetting, of course, but in the early years of childrearing, I determined to teach my kids that people are more important than things. I didn’t yell when things were broken, and if I cried a little (which I must admit, happened sometimes), it didn’t last long.
I wanted my kids to know that the stuff we have here on earth isn’t going with us to heaven, so we mustn’t hold on too tightly to things. I wanted them to understand that everything we have belongs to God first. He blesses us with material things to show His love for us and to allow us to demonstrate character traits like generosity and sacrifice. We mustn’t allow our material blessings to become an idol to us. If I were to be a good example, I needed to be reasonable and understanding when things were broken—even special things. Of course, if my kids broke rules resulting in things being damaged, it was addressed and calm discipline was rendered.
Jesus spoke about earthly treasure in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6). He told the disciples that what they valued demonstrated what their hearts love. He told them they were to love and treasure God above all else and couldn’t serve two masters—God and material wealth. The same goes for us.
Jesus said, “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 CSB).
I thought about this recently when my newlywed daughter sent a cryptic text saying, “Thank you.” She followed up with a call telling me her sweet husband had tossed a pillow from one couch to the other and knocked over a favorite, brand-new lamp. It was irreparably shattered. She wanted me to know she was so glad I taught her not to be upset when items were accidentally broken. My daughter’s been married for two years and is already learning to roll with the punches (and the pillows). “Just wait until you have children,” I told her. “The best lessons are yet to come.”
If you’re like me, you love to decorate your home with pretty things and feel like they help make your house a home. Never forget, however, that it’s the people inside and the spirit of love and hospitality that make people feel at home. Children’s hearts are precious and fragile. Stuff is just stuff; it’s here and then it’s gone. Remember, your children are always watching and learning what it is that you treasure. Be a good example by exhibiting generosity and holding the material things of this world with an open hand. It’s a beautiful—and biblical—thing to do.
As the childrearing years went on—through each shattered piece of painted porcelain—God continued to loosen my grip on the inconsequential drivel of this temporal world, drawing me into a greater knowledge of what’s truly important in life. I’m so grateful for that lesson and for the blessing of motherhood.
“He then told them, ‘Watch out and be on guard against all greed because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.’” (Luke 12:15 CSB)
Originally published on the author’s blog
by Betty Streff 
