Lessons in Life #1
Tony, the Dumpster Guy, and the Soul’s True Treasure
This segment is self-explanatory. I believe that God’s message is present in all things, in every moment — and that if we could truly stop and listen, we would be paralyzed with awe. By His grace, I’ve been encouraged to stop and listen more often. Here is where I will share what I find.
My grandfather passed away recently. Ever since that day, I’ve been searching for God’s message — something written within this passing.
Today, as a dumpster was delivered to the house, that search was met with unexpected wisdom. The messenger? None other than Tony the Dumpster Guy.
Tony was loud, warm, and sounded like he was straight out of South Philly — an old Italian-Philadelphian accent, a big presence, and a bigger heart. Picture the kind of man it takes to handle dumpsters all day. He was perfect for the job — and, as it turned out, perfect to deliver a small light during a somber moment.
He said: “Listen, I just did my mom’s house. I know how these things go. Nothing in these houses is ever worth anything. We didn’t come from money — we just want to get rid of it. Meanwhile, my sisters are fighting over a $6 chair.”
At first glance, it wasn’t profound. But by grace, I could hear the truth beneath his words. His simplicity made the wisdom shine brighter.
Tony had recently downsized. He sold his company, let go of his employees, and now he runs the show himself. Contrary to modern expectation, he saw this as a blessing. “Now my hair greys slower,” he said with a smile, lifting his cap and ruffling his hair.
His words stayed with me. As I helped empty out the house with a softened heart, Tony’s message continued to echo in my mind. God transformed the whispers of a lifetime now past into images and stories of this house’s history.
And as those images faded, I found myself standing in an empty house — with no one but my dad beside me.
It was in that moment I understood why the responsibility of handling inheritance so often falls to the next generation. It teaches us a vital truth: everything we value in this world will one day be left behind — for others to sort through, and clean up.
What was once a gift to one man becomes a burden to another. The only difference is perspective. No material thing holds true value.
The real treasure lies in the stories and the spirit of what remains — in what those items tell us about the people who lived among them. They offer answers to the questions we never quite asked. They give glimpses into souls often too concealed.
But those souls are not here anymore.
And that is the lesson. The soul is the only thing we truly carry forward. Even the flesh will be left behind.
The soul is the real treasure — and within it, if we live rightly, we will gather Wisdom, Love, Beauty, and Truth. These are the riches we take with us, and with them, we ask less of the material world.
Whether or not Tony had thought about all this in such depth, I do not know. But I know this much: in that moment, Tony had his values straight. He put a smile on our faces — and he delivered a message from God.
Thank you, Tony.
So what’s the lesson?
The more we detach ourselves from the material world — from our flesh and all its passing temptations — the more abundance we will store in the soul.
The richer our soul becomes here on earth, the greater the riches that will await us in the Kingdom to come.
Amen.
Reflections
Be Like Tony
A light that shined amidst a dirty job.I Must Decrease, He Must Increase
How true this becomes when we are tasked with throwing away the things of this world.Death Is Not So Sad
When we lead a life in Christ—who has redeemed death and opened to us the Kingdom of Heaven.