A Shack by the Road

We were sitting there, singing along, when suddenly I caught his twinkly eyed grin. "Really?" he whispered, and I grinned back. The words just out of our mouths? "I'd rather be a beggar, live in a little shack by the road..." Did anybody, among the 100s lustily lifting their voices, really mean that? Sure, if any of them were asked to choose between the shack or missing Heaven, they would waste no time with their choice. But really RATHER live in a shack then the brand new house with all it's finery? I have a feeling most of us there would have been more truthful singing Chris' revised version- "O yes I do know that these treasures will rust, and sometimes thieves break through and steal. The heart is what matters not all of my stuff, my riches aren't that big a deal!" That has been one of God's lessons for me the past 8 months. It's so easy to be consumed by the things we are "supposed" to acquire. But who makes the rules anyway? Somehow Mt 8:19-20 makes me wonder if we're following the right rule book!