Tom and I had a date night last week and we went to do a traditional Orange County activity – walk on Balboa Island and watch the Boat Parade. Balboa Island is a very exclusive enclave of multi-million dollar homes on the water. For the benefit of “looky-lous” like us, there is a wide walking path around the island where passers-by can see the Christmas decorations of these homes, both inside and out. It was fun! There were lights everywhere. Many people were having parties that spilled out from their homes and onto their patios. We got to see the festivities and the decorations. There were some very elaborate and ritzy parties. And the boats were amazing also, some with live music and parties too!
I got caught up in all the glitz. It is so much fun to see! Lots of people have amazing decorations, and have spent a ton of $ getting ready for the holidays. We got to enjoy it all without spending a penny.
However, as we walked past all the people and festivities, there were a couple of things that shocked me back to reality. First, we saw an old woman sitting in the window of a dark house, looking out at all of us passing by. She was all alone, hunched over in a wheelchair. Second was a man in motorized wheelchair, surrounded by people at a party. He looked like he did not have any mobility, but that his mind was sharp. I thought to myself how fleeting life is! No matter what we have on this earth, one day we will be taken away from all of it – from fancy homes, from big bank accounts. And then we are left with God. Have we chosen the way of salvation, or trusted in our riches? This earth and its pleasures will all fade. They give us no security after death.
It was a good reminder. Orange County has a way of making you think that life will be perfect if you are successful, beautiful and wealthy. It’s not true. The Bible says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. The rich man feels secure in his riches. But it offers no security.
It’s better to trust in Jesus, in the baby born in a stable, who came to save us from our sins. He has proven His faithfulness to me, and to you, time and time again. Don’t be fooled by this world. Taste and see that the LORD is good!