Ellen Chauvin | Soaked & Sprouting

Soaked in God's Word, Sprouting Seeds of Faith

  • Home
  • Welcome!
  • The Book: Longing to Belong
  • About Ellen
  • The Good News
  • Blog

From Homesick to Home: Sojourner

August 4, 2014 by Ellen 6 Comments

It was poignant. Going through Mama’s things. Some of it we recognized, and memories flooded us. The large baking sheet my daddy always used at Thanksgiving, when he made his homemade yeast rolls. The cast iron Aunt Jemima bank that was always in the kitchen. Mama’s needlepoint hanging on the wall.

Other things were a mystery. Maybe gifts from friends? Or from an old aunt who had downsized? The most heart wrenching of all, though, was the pile of trash. Years of accumulated “stuff.” To be thrown out. Into the garbage. Gone. Like Mama. SONY DSCThere has to be more! My heart ached. I knew my Mama was more than piles of trash. I knew she was more than stuff. She was a living human being who had touched peoples lives. And yet, these garbage bags, and a few mementos were all that remained. I could touch these things, but they weren’t Mama. They weren’t her hands I could hold, or her voice I could hear each week saying “Hey darlin’!” They weren’t her advice or wisdom I would always ask for.

“Mama, I’m planting petunias, will they come back next year?”

“Well, darlin’, they may. Are you planting or setting out?”

“Um, I don’t know – what’s the difference?”

Turns out, planting is starting a plant from seed. Setting out is planting a seedling, or young plant. Oh, and did you know that hot water sets the stain? And if you gargle with warm salt water, your sore throat goes away. And Vicks Vapor Rub is the go-to home remedy for a chest cold.

Wonderful memories. Memories that will fade away in time. Temporary. SONY DSC King David recognized this. In 1 Chronicles 29:15 he said “We are sojourners before you, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.” (NASB, NLT).

A sojourner, a tenant…leaving no trace behind. And that’s it? At the end of our lives, there will be no trace, nothing left? In the words of the apostle Paul “May it never be!”

Packing up Mama’s house made me realize that I don’t want my life to vanish. I don’t want to leave behind just a pile of stuff. I want to make a difference.

Max Lucado said it best in God’s Story, Your Story: “You are so much more than a few days between the womb and the tomb.”

In order for our days here on earth to count, we must make the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:16). Don’t sleepwalk through this life! Live aware, with eyes wide open for opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus:

  • Mow the grass for the neighbor whose yard is overgrown. Give a helping hand. See the opportunity, not the aggravation.
  • Respond in kindness, not in kind, to the cranky store clerk.

In addition to having our eyes wide open, we should hold our hands wide open…not clinging too tightly to the things of this world.

Jesus said “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20)

Warren Wiersbe sums the scripture up this way: “It is not wrong to possess things, but it is wrong for things to possess us…What does it mean to lay up treasures in heaven? It means to use all that we have for the glory of God.”

Using all that we have for the glory of God! What an opportunity to leave a legacy of spiritual riches, not worldly possessions.

What legacy have you received? What legacy will you leave? Will it be temporary? Or will it endure forever? Spiritual Riches Until next week…

Photos by John Chauvin

Copyright 2014 Ellen Chauvin, Ordinary…with a Splash of Flash

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Heaven Tagged With: grief, Heaven

Comments

  1. jodiedye10 says

    August 4, 2014 at 7:59 pm

    Beautiful legacy!

    Reply
    • Ellen Chauvin says

      August 4, 2014 at 8:14 pm

      Thank you Jodie! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  2. Beth Marque says

    August 4, 2014 at 8:28 pm

    Ellen what a heartfelt story. Your Mama did leave something special behind.
    YOU Ellen!!! Thank you for sharing this story.

    Reply
    • Ellen Chauvin says

      August 4, 2014 at 8:28 pm

      Aw, Beth, thank you so much, my sweet friend! I miss you!

      Reply
  3. Doris S. Swift says

    August 5, 2014 at 5:21 pm

    Yes, I agree with Beth! Beautiful story Ellen, wonderful expression and memories.

    Reply
    • Ellen Chauvin says

      August 5, 2014 at 5:42 pm

      Thank you Doris! Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Connect with Ellen

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS

Welcome!

Torrential rains had been pelting us for weeks. With the rains came weeds growing tall in the flower beds. But I noticed other new growth, too. It wasn’t colorful flowers. It was teeny, tiny little oak trees! Squirrels had been working hard, burying food for later. The rains had soaked and softened … Read More...

3 Stepping Stones to a Heavenly Mindset

Enter your email address below to receive this free PDF in your inbox!

Recent Posts:

  • Want to Grow Spiritually? Imitate!
  • A Rock & A Hard Place
  • Loving by Dying

Categories:

Archives:

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Ellen Chauvin | Design & Development by MRM