賣掉我已故母親的房子？在我深愛的寡居母親過世後，這個決定讓我心情沉重，思念之情讓我無法割捨。儘管如此，我和妹妹還是花了兩年時間，清理和整修母親那空蕩蕩的房子，很不情願地準備出售。那是在2008年，全球經濟衰退以致找不到買家。我們不斷降價，仍舊無人問津。一天早上，我在讀聖經時，有一節經文引起我的注意：「家裡無牛，槽頭乾淨；土產加多，乃憑牛力。」（箴言14章4節）

雖然這節經文是談論農事，但其中的信息卻讓我深入思索。沒有牛的牛棚能保持乾淨，但只有養了牛的髒亂牛棚，才能收穫莊稼。或許，對我們來說，這棟房子是可收穫的莊稼，可作為我們的傳家之寶。於是，我打電話問妹妹：「不如我們保留母親的房子？我們可以出租。」

這個決定確實出乎意料，因我們從未想過將這房子變成一項投資。但聖經不僅是屬靈指南，還提供了實用的生活智慧。正如大衛向上帝禱告說：「求祢將正路指示給我。指引我該走的路，讓我得以跟隨。」（詩篇25篇4節，新普及譯本）

因著這個選擇，我和妹妹有幸能將母親的房子租給許多可愛的家庭。我們也學到這改變生命的真理：聖經能引導我們做決定。詩人寫道：「祢的話是我腳前的燈，是我路上的光」（119篇105節）。願你我能在上帝的光中繼續前行。

Sell my late mother’s house? That decision burdened my heart after my beloved, widowed mother passed away. Sentiment drove my feelings. Still, my sister and I spent two years cleaning and repairing her empty home, resigned to sell it.  This was in 2008, and a global recession left us with no buyers. We kept dropping the price but got no offers. Then, while reading my Bible one morning, this passage grabbed my eye: “Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox” (Proverbs 14:4 esv).

The proverb spoke of farming, but I was intrigued by its message. An unoccupied stall stays neat, but only with the “mess” of inhabitants would it yield a harvest of crops. Or, for us, a crop of value and family legacy. Calling my sister, I asked, “What if we keep Mama’s house? We could rent it.”

The choice surprised us. We had no plans to turn Mom’s home into an investment. But the Bible, as a spiritual guide, also offers practical wisdom. As David prayed, “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow” (Psalm 25:4 nlt).

With our choice, my sister and I have been blessed to rent Mama’s home to many lovely families. We also learned this life-changing truth: Scripture helps guide our decisions. “Your word is a lamp for my feet,” wrote the psalmist, “a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105). May we walk in God’s light.