Hospital room or palatial estate?

     What a tragic ending to a life that held so much promise--the life of heiress Huguette Clark.  I read briefly about this eccentric and reclusive daughter of copper industrialist, W. A. Clark (who was, apparently in his day, as wealthy as Rockefeller).  Huguette, brilliant and talented, certainly had every material advantage known to man, but she as she grew older, she became increasingly reclusive and eccentric.  Indeed, when she died at the age of 104, not a single photograph had been taken of her for many decades.  And she left none of her vast $300 million estate to any of her family members.  Tells you something right there about the nature of her relationships--or at least her familial ones.
       But here's the thing that really struck me: Huguette owned  a number of palatial estates--in California, New York (15,000 square feel on 5th Avenue!), and Connecticut to name a few.  Yet the last 20 years of her life she chose to live in a tiny hospital room...despite the fact that she was perfectly healthy.
     Why?  Well, apparently over two decades ago, Huguette went to the hospital for some kind of relatively minor health issue.  But when it came time to leave and return home,  she decided that she much preferred that tiny hospital room to any of her beautiful homes.  Despite her good health, she voluntarily chose a sterile hospital room over any of her gorgeous estates scattered throughout the country.  Can you imagine?  Who would make such a trade?
     Well, who indeed.  For I had to ask myself, how often do I chose a trade-off just as ridiculous--or tragic--as that?  How quickly do I insist on my infinitely inferior ideas or my limited vision of a perfect plan instead of trusting the all-knowing, all-loving God for His perfect plans for my life--or the lives of those that I love.
     "No, Lord, it has to be this way!'  "No, Lord, this school, not that school for my child."  "No, Lord, let me stay here in the safety of my comfortable status quo instead of venturing out into the great adventure of Your often not-so-controllable or predictable plan."  "No, Lord.  I think I'll just stick it out here in my mud puddle of sin rather than do the hard work of repentance and obedience--even though that leads to freedom!"  "No thanks, Lord.  I think I prefer my little hospital room of comfort and convenience rather than enjoying the freedom and beauty of Your will, Your way, Your Word."
      O Lord, forgive us for our lack of faith and trust in You, Your Word, and Your will!  We're tired of settling for the tiny, sterile hospital rooms of our limited plans when You long for us to have so much more...to be so much more.  Help us to be willing to step out in faith and obedience into Your glorious and grand adventure for our lives.  Sometimes it may be hard...unpredictable...scary...but it's ultimately gloriously good!
     As C.S.Lewis said about Aslan--He's not safe...but He's good.  That's our Father--not safe.  Not status quo.  But full of grace, love, power, hope, and joy....and O soooo good.  To God be the glory.