Who's Living in Your Closet?

The danger of unexamined beliefs

Picture this scenario: You come home with the groceries, put everything where it belongs, and go out for the evening. When you get home you decide to have a snack--except the cookies aren't where you thought they were. 

The next day the cold cuts are missing. Food is mysteriously disappearing from right under your nose. What's going on? 

To solve the mystery, you decide to set up a hidden camera in your kitchen. That's what a man in Fukuoka, Japan, did. When the camera sent images of an intruder to the man's cell phone, he called the police.   

The uninvited dinner guest was a 58-year-old homeless woman. She didn't break into the man's home that day; she had been living there, in an unused closet, for months. (Reuters, May 30, 2008)

Beware of Strangers

My first reaction to the story was: How could a stranger live in your house for a single day without giving himself away? Then I came to an unexpected conclusion: We all have strangers living in our closets--not just for a few months, but in many cases, for a lifetime.

Most people never ask themselves, Why do I believe what I believe? Could I be wrong about things that I believe deeply?

Unexamined beliefs are as dangerous as any intruder hiding in your closet. As long as you allow them to have access to your thought processes, they undermine your ability to explore new options. In the end, they become mental cages that limit your power of choice and freedom of action.

The only way to keep strangers from living in your closet is to take control of your thoughts. The Bible says:

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect" (Romans 12:2).

Make up your mind to do some housecleaning today. You might be surprised to find someone else living in your unused closet space.

Comments

[Marie]

I read and heard about this story. Obviously, the homeless woman wanted to find a home as well. It's incredible how the man that lived there didn't hear anything - she must have been as quiet as a mouse!

People can go on living most of their lives without questioning their beliefs or at least assessing their own convictions. It is only when we look within do we learn to explore our horizons and become wiser in the process.

[Skid Rock]

Great post! It is amazing to me that this gentleman could be so oblivious to things that were going on in his own household. But then again, when you draw the correlation that you did, it is not so amazing after all.

We all have "skeletons" in the closet. That's nothing new. The scary aspect is the fact that after we "clean and reorganize" our closets that does not keep new "friends" from moving in...and sometimes without our realizing it. A wise man I know calls thes areas of life our "blind spots", or, things we do/have that we do not realize we do/have.

That is why it truly is important that we always analyze and question our thought processes, actions, and the environments, which we create when we walk into OR leave a room. When we are continuously disciplined and ever vigil for how we "think, be, and do" life we are able to sense any new presence that may enter our house.

Thank you for taking the time to challenge our thought process! Awesome post!Keep them coming.

[Jim]

Marie: It's amazing how the Web expands our universe. As the Web expands our reach, will it help or hinder us from doing the kinds of things you talk about in your comment? I want to examine precisely this aspect of the Web in the coming days and months. I hope you'll visit often. I must give you a prize for being the first to post a comment on my new blog. (Give me time: I'll think of something!)

SR: Your comments added so much to my post. Knowing that you'll be coming back to visit is great motivation to keep posting! I hope you'll be a frequent visitor. I look forward to your comments on upcoming posts... And thanks for the encouragement!

[R. Bruce Tharpe]

I also enjoyed this post very much! Thank you for posting it and allowing us to think about exactly what it means. The strangers in our lives are probably bad habits that have come close to us over the years - that need to be cleaned out in order to make us better people. We all need to look inside ourselves and ask the Lord to help us decide and to guide us as to which areas of our lives need "cleansing."

But how sad for the homeless lady in Japan - that only sought a roof over her head and some minor substinence for her body, i.e. the disappearing food. Too bad the Japanese man didn't embrace her and assist in her needs instead of calling the police. Surely the homeless Japanese lady was crying out for help - as do so many other people in this world. I think that those of us who are able should try to help them in some small way.

Thank you again for the post.

[Jim]

Bruce: You are so right. I feel overwhelmed sometimes by the need I see all around me. Until I read this news story, I didn't think there were any homeless people in Japan. I have been trying to find out what happened to her. The Japanese police have made no further comment, and the Reuters reporter hasn't written a follow-up story. For now, we can pray that God prepares a home for her and, as you say, try to help the homeless that are closer to home.

[Amy]

You sound like someone I used to know quite well.
What would Freddie Fernadez advise to someone who has wants to contact a family member who may not want to be contacted?

[Jim]

Good question, Amy! I'll be sure to ask Freddie when I see him. I think I know what his answer will be: People want to be contacted, even when they're unable--or ashamed, for whatever reason--to take the first step. Does that answer your question?