An Empty House, A Silent Lesson

This big, beautiful house stands empty. One day, I asked a neighbor who has lived in our housing complex longer than I have: “Whose house is this, and why does nobody live here?”

He told me it once belonged to a wealthy couple. But when the husband was caught cheating, the wife asked for a divorce, and the house became "rumah sengketa"—a disputed property.

I don’t know the owners or their full background. But the house and its story got me thinking. 

In life, we often work so hard to prepare for material things—building a house, collecting possessions, seeking comfort and security. These things are important, but they are not enough.

If we want to build not just a house but a home, not just a life but a family, we also need to prepare emotionally and spiritually. Trust, forgiveness, faithfulness, and resilience are the foundations that truly hold a marriage and a family together. Without them, even the most beautiful house can end up standing empty.

But the good news is, it’s never too late to start. We can choose to invest in what lasts—cultivating love, nurturing our soul, and strengthening our spirit. Because in the end, it’s not wealth or comfort that keeps love alive, but the strength of the heart, the depth of the soul, and the health of the spirit. And with those in place, even the simplest house can become a warm, unshakable home.