The Junkyard

“The Junkyard”

In a small town just outside of Omaha, Nebraska, there were three brothers that ran a corn and cattle farm. The farm was founded by their father, Thomas C. Mathers, in the early 1960s as a middle-aged man. Thomas Mathers died in 1989 after suffering ongoing heart complications and left the farm to his boys Luke, Brian, and Todd Mathers.

The boys were hard workers and continued to build upon what their father had left them. What was a 500 acre farm at the time of Mr. Mathers’ death grew into a 2000 acre farm by 2005. The boys made a great team. Luke is the oldest and is a natural born farmer. His father always said “That boy must have been a farmer in his previous life!”

Brian is a people’s person. He’s the wheeler and dealer. He handles the farm hands and all personnel issues. He was also the spokesman for the farm and determined who they did business with.

Todd is the youngest son. Todd went to college and studied business and received a master’s degree in finance. He crunched numbers, presented investment strategies to the brothers, maintained the books, and constantly searched for opportunities to grow the business.

After years of success, Brian became curious about the world outside of small Fremont, Nebraska. Being a single man, he started to covet the women he saw on television, fancy cars and clothes, and the lavish lifestyles portrayed in magazines.

Brian informed Luke and Todd that he had decided to leave the business to go and live life outside of Nebraska. He expressed his desires to experience the life he sees on television. Brian says, “Guys I have never gotten an opportunity to enjoy the fruits of my labor; so I’m taking some money with me, and I’m going away to do just that.”  Though his brothers would miss him greatly, they decided not to obstruct Brian’s wishes.

Brian headed to sunny San Diego, California. He bought a brand new corvette and rented an apartment on the beach. Brian attracted a lot of attention from women and male friends who took to his giving ways. Brian went through women and always had a leach attached to him at local bars. Brian was not the business man that Todd was and there were no farms in San Diego to run. Brian was beginning to run out of money.

After seven years, Brian’s car didn’t have the same appeal that it had when he purchased it. Brian no longer received attention from the girls anymore, and the friends that he thought he had were no longer around after the money began to dry up. Brian was now broke and lonely.

Brian returned home to his brothers in 2012. When he arrived, he expected to be given a cold shoulder, but he was surprisingly wrong. They rejoiced like kids when they saw that their brother had returned. He apologized to them for leaving and told them of all the mistakes he had made. He told them that he spent his money on an expensive car, a fancy apartment, and fast living. He wept on the shoulders of his brothers as he embraced them and begged their forgiveness.

Luke softly patted Brian on the back and requested that he take a ride with him and Todd. The boys jumped in the truck and took a ride toward Omaha. On the edge of the city was a junkyard. When they arrived at the junkyard, Luke said to Brian: “Our father brought me here when I was 14. He made me look at this place and take it in. He told me that people fail to realize that everything that this world has to offer has an expiration date and those things will one day become a part of some kind of junkyard. Everything in this place was once someone’s dream or goal. Now it sits in piles of worthless, rusted junk. Our father shared that with me because I was the oldest son and he wanted me to always be invested in the things that truly mattered. That being said, while you invested in things that will one day see this graveyard of things, me and Todd decided to invest in our love for you. You only spent a quarter of your stake in this business, and the rest Todd has continued to invest into this business. Our father instructed me to do this so that we can always benefit from the fruits of his sacrifice.”

Friends and family, it is important that we understand that the most important things in life aren’t things at all. We sacrifice our happiness for the enemy’s mirage of happiness. That is, Satan understands our pleasures and our desires, and he deceives us into believing that we are experiencing happiness. This is not happiness. It is merely a temporary investment into something that is slowly decaying and will someday see its day in the graveyard of things. Cars, money, houses, fame, power, and the worldly pleasures those things bring, will all die. An investment into the one living GOD in heaven is what, some may refer to as, “A sure bet!”

Let’s not focus on the acquisition of things and worldly pleasures, but more so on Christ, our love for one another, and the spreading of GOD’s word. Finding our place in Him enables us to enjoy the things that GOD has set before us with a deeper appreciation.

Today’s Beacon of Light Scriptures:

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 

17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (John 2:16-17)

Today’s Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we are made from earth and our flesh desires those things that are of the earth. Father there is truth in our path towards you, and we ask you to illuminate the mirages of happiness set forth by the enemy O Lord. Empower us. Help us to remember that we have had the power over the world since Jesus overcame the world at Calvary. May our treasures accompany our hearts and desires in Heaven. In Jesus name, Amen…