Getting Planted

Steve and Joanna are considering putting their house on the market. This is not just any house—it is the house that they designed together; a house that is filled to the roof with sunlight, beauty and memories. When they moved in, they gathered with friends to communally bless the space and ask that it be a place of hospitality for others.

At various times in their careers they have moved out of the area. Each time Steve and Joanna have returned to this neighborhood. The house and town have been a touchstone for them. And now they are talking about moving.

The reason is simple: they can’t afford it anymore. And not because of the recession. For the first time in many years, they are both in jobs that feel like call to them*. Their work is filled with meaning and purpose; they are using their gifts; they are growing. Steve and Joanna also believe that the world is better because of the work they are doing. But the fact is that they aren’t making as much money as they used to.

So the cost of doing this meaningful work may well be the house that they love. As I talked with them this past weekend, I was struck by their openness about putting the house on the market. We spoke about this same possibility years ago, and I could tell it was almost too excruciating to even talk about. Now it’s very much on the table. It would be painful, but it would be worth it for the fullness of their lives today.

Is this what Jesus meant when he said “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit”? That some things need to die so that deeper, better, and more meaningful things can grow? Steve, Joanna, and Jesus are making me wonder what I need to let go of so that I might ‘bear more fruit’.


*Lumunos is currently offering groups to help people find work that feels like call. Click here for more information.