A recent visit to Hearst Castle was a bit over whelming. After a hour or two of walking, climbing stairs, viewing room after room of furniture and listening to stories after stories, we came to one conclusion...."what a waste"! Before anyone gets up in the air at our conclusion let me explain. My husband and I did not hear one things or see one thing that would further the gospel of Jesus Christ. We were reminded of the scripture that says, For what does it profited a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul, Matthew 16:26. I have no idea where Mr. Hearst is at this moment , heaven or hell but I know one thing for sure he took none of what he build for himself with him. Nothing we have read or heard about him indicates he ever believed in the gospel somewhere in his life.
Mr. Hearst was rich and had gather so much stuff to himself that he had no idea what he even had in his castle. There is a story that he sent his trusted friend to buy a certain painting. This man looked all over the world for that one painting. He returned to Mr. Hearst and told him first the good news, he had found the painting. The bad news was it had been in the basement of the castle all along and Mr. Hearst did not even know it.
Have you ever laid up an expensive treasure and forgot you had it? I know I haven't.
It comforts my heart to know anything I use for His glory and furtherance of the gospel will meet me in heaven, including the most expensive treasure on this earth and in heaven, the souls that have been won through our years of ministry.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matt. 6:19, 21
It was beautiful though on top of the mountain over looking the great expand of land Mr. Hearst owned and the ocean below. God's earth is always more beautiful then anything man can build. Seems Mr. Hearst tried to have heaven here on earth, but it was decaying and rotting daily which was why there are people there constantly working to keep it up. The treasures we sent to heaven will never rot and decay.
I was glad our trip took us through Yosemite Park in which I found beauty beyond anything man can build. Those majestic mountains that God spoke into being, the forest surrounding the mountains, the streams of water, all there to not only awe us but to produce life giving oxygen to help us breath, water to nourish our bodies. Below is the place I could have moved to for the rest of my life here on earth. The park services can keep Mr. Hearst castle with it's ever ending upkeep. Give me God's creation with out the touch of man's hand to mar it's beauty.C.S. Lewis says, aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
Bless you.
ReplyDeleteDenise, bless you too my sister.
ReplyDeleteSo well said :) I love all God's nature-Well,not snakes ; )
ReplyDeleteI completely agree....NOTHING in this world can even begin to compare with the majesty that God created.....especially, sunrises and sunsets!! Thanks for stopping by and commenting at "Breathing in Grace" (Jeremiah 29:11). HOPE you have an awesome day!
ReplyDeleteDebbie, we have lived all over the world and the sun comes up and goes down with the beauty and faithfulness of God hand. Blessings
ReplyDeleteI'm with you one hundred percent, Betty. Even as a builder I appreciate the process, but it all pales, likes tiny ants scrambling for mammon, compared to the majesty of our Father. Love your perspective and that line about Hurst, "He didn't take anything that he built with him." Amen!
ReplyDeletePlease check your private email.
Floyd, it must have a special feel to build something from scratch. The only house we ever build was in jungle camp during our Boot Camp training. We cut small trees for the frame, use some kind of twine to keep the frame together. Draped the bottom have in black plastic, the top half in clear plastic. Built a crude shower with a five gallon bucket for water. The neatest build was a mud stove and oven from a barrel and chicken wire and stove pipe. Ace put a coil inside to that water ran through and we had super hot water when the stove was up an running. We built our table and bench, our bed, all very crude like they did in the pioneer days. The missionaries do not use that kind of crude living anymore. Some of the younger ones buy all their furniture and kit cabinets at Ikea and have them shipped over seas and flown into the tribe. Money can bring lots of comfort. In most cases the missionaries houses come down when they move out. It is so much different building overseas in a jungle location then in the city. I am just glad I do not have to live in a jungle house anymore. Thanks for the comment. Have not seen any e-mail from you yet.
ReplyDeleteI am continually amazed how we think what we have on earth will change things and for some reason think we will take it with us. Whether Mr Hurst was or was not a follower of Jesus is still proof positive no matter who we are, no matter our profession of faith or lack of it, we will leave it all behind. Couldn't see where you would rather live. Wouldn't allow me to open the album. Hope you are doing well Betty.
ReplyDeleteBill, we meet people all the time who use their stuff for only themselves, Christian people. I am certainly not against wealth. WE know some very wealthy people and they are generous and giving toward the work of the Lord and helping people in need, the we know some who do nothing but give to themselves.
ReplyDeletesorry you could not open the pictures, it was the best one from our trip of a place in Yosemite Park where I park myself for a couple of hour while Ace hiked. I found such refreshment for my soul there. Thanks Bill for your comment.
Nature has a certain pull that somehow brings us to God's presence. I can feel Him in the trees, the waves of the sea, the beauty of sunset. Hope you had a marvelous time. Great shots, btw.
ReplyDeleteI'm astonished about the painting story. To have had something so precious buried in the basement and have no idea it was even there. I think there's a life lesson in there somewhere. Love that CS Lewis quote at the end, it's one I'd not come across. Have you been on any similar visits in the past which left you with the same feeling as when you came away from Hearst Castle?
ReplyDeleteSuperLux, thanks for visiting my site. I marvel at the creation God left us with to enjoy. One thing that has struck me lately is that God created the earth for us to use to help us live, trees for lumber for shelter, of course abundance food that when tended brings forth more abundance. Makes me thankful for His fore thought of providing for us. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteMicah, I wonder what did you get out of the painting story? And yes we have been many place we have felt the same as we did at Hearst Castle. What makes it so hard to return to western culture is the amount of stuff here and people attitude about their stuff. It's hard to function in an, "it's all about me culture." But it is not something new that just happened in our generation. Adam and Eve started off being the riches people on this earth but wanted more, they wanted to be a God. To be like God is to be concerned for others. People who want to be a God are only concern for themselves. Pride has walked this earth and controlled it ever since it took root in Adam and Eve and they acted on it by disobeying the Creator. I could not help but think how many starving people that castle would have fed had he not got wrapped up in playing God. And here is the thing, we are giving them money to view this work of man. But for us it was worth the charge to gain a reminder of laying up treasure for oneself here on earth verses laying up treasure in heaven. I am not at all against people being rich but I am not intimidated over their wealth either. We have prayed with the poorest to the very rich and told them the ground is level at the foot of the cross. There was no level ground at Hearst Castle.
ReplyDeleteHi Betty! I have never seen Hearst's Castle, but I've heard of it. What a great take on it...I don't know if the family had faith, but it is a shame that they don't show it if they did.
ReplyDeleteI love nature. To me, a walk through a forest, or a national park just relaxes my shoulders, and I can breath deeply. So perfect, so clear, so what God intended it to be. I am so glad you had that Yosemite experience!
Blessings,
Ceil
Ceil, feel exactly the same way about being out in nature. It clears my mind and allows me to think through issue in a helpful way. Thanks for commenting.
ReplyDeleteHi Betty,
ReplyDeleteNice to see you again. :) Yosemite must have been beautiful.
Jennifer Dougan
www.jenniferdougan.com
That happened to me just the other day - I forgot that I had a priceless painting in my basement. Haha, wouldn't that be strange.
ReplyDeleteThere's something about seeing the wealth of the dead that humbles us and reminds us not only of our fate but of the fate of our wealth. Thanks for the encouragement to make sure that I lay up treasures in the right place.
I've also toured Hearst Castle. And yes, it is beautiful. But, like you, the one thought I kept having was that Mr. Hearst took none of it with him when he died. That's the thing with earthly treasures. They all fade and rot and die. They are not lasting. The other thought I had, though, was this. If this earthly estate was so beautiful, what must heaven be like?! I have also been to Yosemite, and I think that maybe its beauty is closer to the truth of heaven! God does a much better job making beautiful things than we do, huh?!
ReplyDeleteLove that quote from Lewis, too!
GOD BLESS!
Jennifer, hope all is well with you. I have been off the computer for a couple of days, will have to visit you and catch up on what you have written. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteLoren, you at too funny. I have put things up and forgot them so it's possible even on a limited budget. You are so right about being humbled when we view what people leave behind when they die. Our two children have told us not to leave them anything, to use what we have to help us here on earth. We told them not to worry. Thanks for visiting my site.
ReplyDeleteSharon, Yosemite was a little slice of heave as they say in Kentucky, we will sure visit it again. But once is all Hearst Castle will get from us. Blessings my sister.
ReplyDeleteVery well said, Betty. Bless you. Warm greetings from Montreal, Canada.
ReplyDeleteLinda, thanks for the visit from Canada. We worked along side of some wonderful Canadian Christians in Papua New Guinea. They became dear friends. Someday we hope to pay Canada a visit. Love the pictures on your blog..so comforting.
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