A Big Red House and a Little Red Ball

Our newest grandson was making his intense journey from womb to arms at the exact time a potential buyer was walking the halls of our Green Lake house. We didn’t realize it at the time. Those facts would come together the next day in a whirlwind of negotiations.

This is our fourth time selling a house. The first two took place in Illinois, back in the days when we were birthing our own sons. One babe for each fixer upper, temporary homes. Our third-born arrived in Minnesota, at a place he’d get to call home all the way from birth to college.

Each of our previous sales were pretty straight-forward. We negotiated a contract. We packed our stuff. Made incrementally frequent trips to Goodwill. And when we arrived at our next home-sweet-home, we filled the new space with familiar belongings. But this time it might look a bit different. Because much to our surprise, this buyer is interested not only in our house, but in a rather lengthy list of our possessions. Which at first felt a little bit weird. 

We’d just come from seeing baby Tiago at the hospital, stopping at Chipotle on our way back home. Kyle and I ate burrito bowls while answering texts from our real estate agent, negotiating a list of specifics. And I was struggling. Honestly. Swimming in a sea of emotions. Gratitude and joy thoroughly mixed with a good bit of sadness and clinging. Oh I could just feel myself clinging. Pounding chicken and rice like a half-starved lunatic, while texting messages to our Realtor friend. And then. Out of the blue I get this thought-bubble Holy Spirit animation…

Adam Raccoon clutching his little red ball, while trying to follow King Aren. 

And I know EXACTLY what God is saying.

For context. When our boys were young the Adam Raccoon books were family favorites. We even hosted “Front Porch Clubs” two summers in a row, using the animated parables as our inspiration. And when Nils and Brina were expecting baby Quoia, Papi (who is not one to have a lot of opinions about such things) insisted on the series as our shower gift. 

You see—Papi can do ALL the voices. Adam Raccoon and King Aren. Bully Garumph and Mr. Giant. As well as the crowd favorite, Blue Jay, with his tempting “AWK!” Papi does them all, and the grandkids love it. So when I confessed to my husband about my clinging heart and the little red ball, without missing a beat, he says with perfect inflection: 

“It will only cause you more trouble, Adam…” 

Point taken. 

Timely, too. All of this happening during the season of Lent. Our season of simplicity and fasting. Letting go and surrender to trust. 

We’re in a series at church called Canvas and Clay: Redemption from Genesis to Jesus. Pastor Brickey reminds us we are wanderers in the middle of a story. He holds up a book and isolates a single page, saying, “This one page is all we see. But God has authored every single chapter.”

Like Abram in the Bible, and Adam Raccoon in our children’s book, we’re called to release our grip on home and possessions to follow the Author in surrendered trust. Or, in the wisdom of King Aren: 

“Try not worry about losing your things. You really don’t need them when you’re with me.”

If all goes according to plan, we’ll say good-bye to our lake house by the first of May, and close in Anoka by Memorial Day. In the meantime we collect boxes from neighbors and storage bins from Menards, and we start the process of purging. My husband (who’s clearly less clingy than me) makes online posts of “For Sale” items, selling his 4-wheel snowplow just before our most recent blizzard. Poor timing. 

But alas…

I look at accumulating piles, overwhelmed by all our stuff, and I think about a lion named Aren, and the True King he represents. I remember these words of Jesus:  

Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 

…But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. (Matthew 6:26-27 & 33)

Oh, Jesus. Show me today how to seek your kingdom.