This Old House

Arnold was excited about an old house he had seen that was in ruins.
“We’re thinking of buying it,” he said. “We could have a Christian community there one day. Although the old couple who own it have had everything stolen.”
“That’s because they don’t actually live there,” said Sam. “It would be all right if it had people living in it. An empty, derelict house will always be easy to break into. The Lord gave me a word from the Bible.” Sam opened his Bible and began to read. “From the book of Haggai. ‘Is it time for you yourselves to be living in your panelled houses while the house of the Lord remains a ruin?’ I think we need to get on and rebuild that old house, it’s going to be the House of the Lord.”

Five years later Arnold was driving Sam through the same part of the city.
“That old house is just around the corner,” he said. “I’ll drive you past it in a minute. I’m sure we’re going to have a Christian community there one day.” Arnold drove around the corner and then another half mile down the main road. The car passed a large field. “It isn’t there anymore. They knocked it down. Oh well, maybe we were wrong.”