How many of you have visited Ikea? This shopping mecca draws all stripes of people seeking to find their ultimate personal space - that space where everything fits together perfectly, with unlimited storage for all their
stuff, complete with an external appearance that says "I am hip, I have it all together and I did it all on my own." No matter what we go through as we try to figure out the instructions, discovering that there are fundamental assembly pieces missing, not to mention the blood, sweat and tears (literally!) we experience as we screw, nail and glue our Ikea furniture together, the end result
looks just like the one in the showroom - as long as you don't look too closely or shake it too hard.
If that is not a metaphor for life, I don't know what is. I mean where else can you go to find all the answers to life's problems if not Ikea? We walk in with the single desire to purchase a bag of tea light candles or Swedish meatballs and through clever marketing and store layout, we find ourselves on a journey of discovery that leads us to the perfect answer to hiding our dirty laundry or redecorating our dens of iniquity with comfortable, yet affordable furniture.
But what we fail to remember - every single time - is that Ikea is a parallel universe. Each room assembled by talented technicians with training, aptitude
and access to ALL the fundamental screws, bolts and little pieces of wood necessary to actually put this stuff together. Professional stagers then come along and place each beautifully crafted unit in it's proper place, within the perfectly proportioned allotted space, accompanied with the ultimate in lighting, flooring, and ambiance and a choir of angels sing hallelujah songs that promise a little bit of heaven on earth. Luring us, fools that we are, into believing that
we can replicate this Utopian existence in our cramped apartments or houses with nothing more than a screwdriver and a hex wrench (not always included).
Forget those inconveniently placed windows and doorways, unlevel floors and 8 foot ceilings. Never mind that the elevator in our building or a stairwell that cannot accommodate the huge over packaged units. Can't afford delivery? No problem, Ikea provides free rope so that you can get this stuff home strapped to the top of your tiny Smart Car.
It's as though we are lured by the Ikea sirens who sing melodies so beautiful that shoppers passing by can't resist getting closer to them. Following the sound of music we steer our carts towards each perfectly staged "room" or jump in and marinate in the beautiful environment to fully immerse ourselves in the promise of unadulterated domestic bliss Either way, it always ends in disaster on the rocks.
My life has been one big long Ikea shopping trip. My bible was the Ikea catalogue, full of promises for a coordinated, organized, ultra-cool life complete with storage solutions for every messy little concern. From the lowly tea light to the Pax wardrobe system, my perfect life could be secured for a reasonable price and a small donation for delivery. And Ikea delivered! Brought my purchases right too my door. And so, in a quest for a better life, I wandered from room to room, department to department, searching for the ultimate solutions to my problems and happily shelled out the price, not matter how high, so that I could find inner peace and contentment.
Except, there was no peace and contentment. The delivery truck backed up to my door and dropped off exactly what I bargained for: confusion, despair, disappointment and disillusionment. One promise after another broken and me left sitting on a wobbly uncomfortable chair as I watched my stuff crashing to the floor as my ill-gotten wardrobe system collapsed. No amount of twinkling tea lights could cast sufficient ambiance to hide the ugly truth: the acquisition of stuff will not give me peace, only pieces of leftover parts and bitter disappointment.
So what's the alternative? Leon's with their "integrity" pricing? Or the Brick with their best boxing day sale ever plus 50% off the lowest priced mattress and take 18 months to pay sales? No!
Listen, if you actually need furniture, then buy the basics and be content. Don't waste any more of your time trying to find inner peace by chasing after the illusion of beauty. Mooch from your parents, check out Craig's list, go to yard sales and get the basics. After all, no matter how expensive a chair is, it serves only one purpose, which is a place to park your butt.
More to the point, put your energy into discovering where true inner peace and contentment come from: finding salvation in Jesus Christ and seeking to know Him better. Discover the rich blessings from His father, God, who made the world, who created you in His likeness, complete with all the necessary parts and talents to achieve the specific purpose that He has in mind for you. No assembly required! When you come to the realization that laying your life and will on the alter of material stuff is no longer working and you begin to search for something better, take a look at the greatest Life Catalogue ever written - the Bible.
If you are tired of kneeling at the alter of acquiring material stuff with only a massive credit card balance and the hounds of collection agency hell to show for it, then hear this Good News. You don't need that stuff
I find myself in a curious place these days. Out of work, limited income, not sure where or when I will return to work, but at the same time, I have more peace, joy and contentment than I have ever had in my life. Why, at a time when I would normally be frantic with worry and freaking out all day long, am I filled with this kind of peace? Because, I know Jesus Christ. I have FAITH! I have finally placed my faith along with my life and will into the hands of God, knowing that he loves me and wants the very best for me. He created me and blessed me with talents and skills that will allow me to make my living in service to others. He is faithful, I am grateful, and we're working out where I will go next.
Stay tuned..,.
It's me, Jan
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