Black Friday, our family was checking out computers on sale. While learning about gigabite memory, dual core processors and the like, we asked about software we have installed on our current computer. We wondered if we'd lose it all. Some programs, we were told, we would certainly lose unless we paid an extra fee to have the hard drive information transferred over to the new computer. I turned to my daughter and said, "You mean if we don't do this, we'll lose the Sims' houses?"
Now if you've never played The Sims, that comment means nothing to you. In this video game, you can create families and houses. I never got into playing the game itself, but I loved designing and decorating houses. I got to play architect, interior designer and landscaper. My kids know a cheat code, so my houses had no monetary limit. I could design whatever I wanted in the grandiest scale. I haven't played Sims in several years now, but when I was designing houses for my children's Sims families, I would spend hours crafting homes. And I had some pretty awesome ones. (Not the one you see in the picture above, however. Someone else made that beauty.) Therefore, my comment to my daughter - and trust me, it was sincere - was refering to the fact that we could lose virtual homes. Fake homes. Imaginary homes. Pixels and megabites, if you will. I was lamenting losing them.
When I heard myself say it, I was embarassed. I haven't looked at those houses in years. I spent so much time on them. Yes, I had fun doing it, but what a waste of time! I thought back to Christ speaking to the disciples at the Sermon the Mount where He says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal."
Typically I'm a tosser - or a donater. I don't save what I don't use. I don't believe in wasting space. So a cabinet filled with Tupperware that I don't use to me is ridiculous. Yet for some reason, I was actually saving virtual homes on the hard drive of my computer!
While in prayer recently for several young men who I pray regularly for that do not believe in Jesus Christ, I thought about the wasted hours I'd invested in the Sims. Hours that could have been spent serving God's children, sharing His story of grace and mercy, reading and memorizing His Word or praying to Him. I was mortified at the lost time.
It's time for me to do a little house cleaning. December is always a great time to go through the stuff you have to decide what to keep, what to toss and what to donate. And yes, even a good time to clean houses off my computer. But I also need to do a little spiritual house cleaning as well and decide what needs more time, what needs fine tuning and what needs cast aside. Time to focus a bit more on those heavenly treasures, I think.
No more "Comen snada" for me. Comen snada you ask? It's Sims talk - they have their own language. I don't even know what it means, yet I remember the little virtual people saying it. Great ... I've even wasted brain space. Yes, definitely time for some house cleaning.
