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OWNER    5'?m2f Ownership, stewardship, materialism, values

MOM -- (enters checking off items on a clipboard) That. And
that. Well, I guess that's all of it then.

KID -- (enters opposite carrying backpack over one shoulder)

MOM -- Well, good afternoon.

KID -- Yeah. (exits, shouts, reenters backward) Mother!

MOM -- Yes?

KID -- Where is my stuff?!

MOM -- YOUR stuff.

KID -- Yes, all my stuff is gone.

MOM -- Well, I hate to be picky, but, I believe that everything
that belongs to you is in your room.

KID -- Have you seen my room lately?

MOM -- Yes. As a matter of fact I have.

KID -- My bed is gone. My chest of drawers is gone. My CD
player. Most of the clothes in my closet. Even the carpet from
my floor is GONE!

MOM -- Yes. I know.

KID -- Well, how can you say that everything that belongs to me
is in my room?

MOM -- Because it is. (shows clipboard) I just checked.
Everything that belongs to you is in your room.

KID -- What about my bed?

MOM -- That belongs to ME.

KID -- Well it's MY bed.

MOM -- You've been sleeping on it, but it belongs to ME.

KID -- Where is it?

MOM -- I took it back. In fact, I took back everything that
belongs to me.

KID -- My chest of drawers?

MOM -- Belongs to me. But I left you the gifts that you received
over the years. Those belong to you. So, I wanted you to have
them.

KID -- That's big of you. What did you do with my things?

MOM -- MY things. I removed them from your room.

KID -- Why are you doing this?

MOM -- Because I think you have forgotten why God gave us
ownership.

KID -- Ownership.

MOM -- Yes.

KID -- This is all about ownership?

MOM -- Yes.

KID -- When do I get my things back?

MOM -- MY things. I would be inclined to allow you to use my
things if you learn the lesson of ownership.

KID -- Is this going to take long?

MOM -- (exiting) Judging from that question, it will probably
take a very long time.

KID -- Wait a minute.

MOM -- (stops, turns) Yes?

KID -- Where am I supposed to sleep tonight?!

MOM -- Well, before you started getting snooty, I was going
to allow you to sleep on my couch. But now, I'm not so sure.
(turns)

KID -- Wait a minute! You don't expect me to sleep on the floor!

MOM -- (turns) Are you aware that more than half the population
in the world sleeps on the floor? I don't think it would do any
harm.

KID -- Alright. If you want me to apologize, I'll apologize. If
you want me to grovel, I'll grovel. If you want me to beg, I'll
beg.

MOM -- Nice try. (turns)

KID -- (runs into Mom's path) Wait a minute. You don't really
expect me to sleep on the floor, do you?

MOM -- I suppose I could loan you a blanket and a pillow.

KID -- You're serious.

MOM -- Well, yes. But you would have to ask politely to borrow
them.

KID -- What did I do to deserve this?

MOM -- Actually, you have done nothing to deserve it. You
haven't even asked to borrow them yet.

KID -- (sighs, takes off backpack) Alright. You've got my
attention. I suppose I've taken things a little bit for granted.

MOM -- Nice try. (tries to exit)

KID -- Alright! (steps into Mom's path) Please. Let me
apologize... sincerely. I know that I have taken THINGS for
granted. I have ASSUMED that the things that belong to you are
mine for the asking.... No, check that. I assumed that things
that belonged to you were mine for the taking. I'm not real sure
what lesson the Lord had in mind for us when he gave us
ownership. But I think one lesson was so that kids could know
that everything really belongs to God. We only get to use things
for the few years we're here on earth. How am I doing?

MOM -- Better.

KID -- I suppose God gave his people ownership so that we could
have a glimpse of what it was like for God to own the universe
while loaning parts of it to us and giving other parts of it as
gifts. I suppose that God made ownership so that his people
could earn things of their own. And so that people could see the
difference between things that are earned and things that are
given as a gift. Huh?

MOM -- Not bad. You're on a roll. Keep going.

KID -- And I suppose that God gave parents ownership so that
they could remind their children the difference between things
they've earned and things that were gifts for no reason except
love.

MOM -- And....

KID -- And to remind their children how really really fortunate
they are to have so many things given to them both by the
parents and by God that they don't deserve.

MOM -- And....

KID -- (pauses) And, as nice as beds and chests of drawers and a
closet full of clothes are, they're just things. I suppose the
lesson of ownership most of all is the lesson that people are
not things. You've been a really good Mom and I've been treating
you like furniture lately. I'm sorry. (hugs Mom)

MOM -- Speaking of ownership... I've decided that today would be
a good day to give you the ownership of everything I took out of
your room.

KID -- And today would be a good day for me to thank you for
everything. By the way. What did you do with all that stuff?

MOM -- It's in the garage. Would you like to help me move it
back into your room? (exits)

KID -- (follows) I guess, since it's my stuff now, you're really
helping me. Would you please help me?

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