When I was in seminary, a pastor from a Christian Reformed church in Chicago came to the campus. One evening he told us the story of a couple in his church, a mother and her son. The father had died when the boy was young. The mother and son had a very unique relationship. This was back before television, and folks would spend evenings listening to the radio or reading to one another. They both enjoyed listening to good music. Theirs was a special relationship.

In his early twenties, he met a young woman at the church, fell in love with her, and they decided to be married. Back then, during World War II, housing in our large cities was very difficult to get. The mother, knowing they wanted to be married, said, "We have a two-story house. I can make an apartment for myself in the second story. You and your bride can live in the first story. The only thing I ask is that we get a chance to spend some time together because I'm going to miss the reading and the music."

Her son said, "Mother, you can be sure of that. It's too important to me."

The couple married. For a while, life continued with the son stopping by a couple of times a week to spend some time. He was busy, and eventually days and actually weeks went by with only a call from downstairs or a brief glimpse. The relationship was not what it had been.

On the mother's birthday, the young man bought his mother a lovely dress, brought it to her, and said, "Happy birthday, Mother."

She opened the package and looked at the dress."Oh, Son, thank you. I appreciate so much what you've done."

He said, "Mother, you don't like it."

She said, "Oh, yes, I do. It's my color. Thank you."

He said, "Mother, I have the sales slip. They tell me I can take it back."

She said, "No, it is a lovely dress."

He said, "Mother, you don't fool me. We've been together too long. What's wrong?"

The woman turned and opened her closet. She said, "Son, I have enough dresses there to last me for the rest of my life. I guess all I want to say is that I don't want your dress. I want you."

Out of this quaint story of long ago, I hear God saying that to me. With all of our busyness, we better simplify our lives because, ultimately, God doesn't want your life as much as he wants you.