Thursday, July 11, 2019

Like most crime novels we vicariously enjoy the world of the rich and famous. Life is full of puzzles to solve or not

Sitting at pool site in Naples,
Florida. Looking out waterway
to the Gulf
It is said, you can't take it with you. This was my first trip to Naples, Florida other than a prior pass-throughs on the way to the everglades. Stayed at a Charter club in Old Naples. Affluence everywhere. Water, tropical and money. We all seem to love it.
Looking at the homes of the rich and famous tell interesting stories. Many of the homes are not even lived in but for a few weeks a year. One home bought a neighbor's home, for around 20 million, tore it down and uses the land for a dog park for their dog.
Tom Selleck built a home designed like the one used in Magnum PI. He never lived there. Politicians from both parties live there and the who's who from business, writers, famous from all walks of life.
Where I was located is near the city's dock where boats are entered. Took a sunset cruise and had the view these homes have every night. That day had rained all day but the evening the skies cleared had we a had a great sunset.
Vicariously I think we all enjoyed being in the world of the rich. Our novels, movies,
A floating mushroom
media place our imaginations with the rich and powerful. No matter your political view we strive to be on top. One of the themes of the wisdom books of the Bible deals with our relationship with money and power. It can be a blessing or a curse. Wealth can benefit many or oppress many. Reading the ancient writings helps us gain insight

"For he will take nothing with him when he dies; his wealth will not follow him down into the grave." Ps. 49:17
Along with the homes of Port Royal, the home valued at millions will be torn down upon the sale or death of the owner only to be rebuilt for bigger homes or even a dog park for an owner's dog to do his business. One owner needed 8 more inches in a room for a statue he bought traveling to Italy. He tore down the mansion and rebuilt the same mansion only the room was given 8 more inches. I have many friends travel to Italy and take in the sights (we all like to be affluent) and wish they could buy art, products but don't have enough room to fly it back. Unless they are a hoarder there is no room in the house. 
The problems of wealth and poverty will always be with us and it is good to read, study, meditate, apply what we learn in Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon throughout our life. Not that we figure it all out, which is impossible, but that we grow in skills with our relationship to God and others.

Out on the Gulf- Can you see the curve of the earth? God's paintbrush
Consider the blessings of wealth enjoyed or not.
Ecc 5:19 To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions, he has also given him the ability to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil; these things are the gift of God.
Ecc 6:2 God gives a man riches, property, and wealth so that he lacks nothing that his heart desires, yet God does not enable him to enjoy the fruit of his labor –instead, someone else enjoys it! This is fruitless and a grave misfortune.
In my devotions the other night I came across curious verses, 
"Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time?" ESV "It is best to take hold of one warning without letting go of the other warning; for the one who fears God will follow both warnings." NET 
I know we are all sinners and we all sin, but thankfully we did not sin to our deaths. We learned from our past sins to a wiser life. I also know we can never reach perfection in this life, nor solve every life riddle we encounter. No, it is good to enjoy a sunset, enjoy the blessings God gives and learn from our trials to trust the One who can take us to heaven. Politics, power, money, poverty are always in conflict. How are we living, loving, sharing and caring? We have enough to deal with ourselves. Keep walking

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