One thing profoundly touched me as Davin and I were brought to Hearst Castle, and later on to the home of Ellen G. White.
The Hearst Castle boasted magnanimous pieces of art, tapestries, rugs, and many other things. The tour guide mentioned one Persian rug in the Hearst Collection was auctioned for $32,000,000 USD. His house was so big it has 140 rooms for guests alone, with each guest entitled to their own personal assistant. People who came to this “Casa Grande” were by pure invitation alone, and got there with by private airplane provided by Hearst himself, or a private train car that was owned by Hearst himself. Of course, one can imagine what sorts of guests were invited. Well, of course only the politicians and famous entertainers of the day. The guests can do pretty much whatever they want. The 250,000-acre property boasted not only a grand and magnificent Spanish Mediterranean style villas, but a marbled-floor swimming outdoor swimming, a Roman style indoor pool, a theater house, marvelous gardens that featured exotic and lush flowers as well as fruit trees, a tennis court, and a wide land one can use for horse backriding and what not. In his day, all sorts of exotic animals would be found roaming around like giraffes, bears, elk, zebras, etc. The food they ate, the games they played, the movies they watched were all the “latest” of the day. More can be said of William Hearst himself, who ran the most popular publications like Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, and Harper’s Bazaar. He also had his own film and news industry. Yep, this guy and his family is really known for their wealthy collections and their donations.
Hearst Castle
Elmshaven
And yet a few hundred miles from this grandiose, magnificent structure was a humble abode called Elmshaven. Ellen White, a regular woman, yet called by God to be a prophet, is recuperating from St. Helena’s hospital. At the same time, she was looking for a property where she will spend her late years. Elmshaven was sold to her for $5000 USD. The house was fully furnished when it was sold to her, even the barn was well-stocked with hay. The little white house had simple rooms that gave practical functions such as a pantry, a kitchen, a dining room, a worship room, and the much talked-about writing room, where no celebrities or politicians graced, but heavenly beings. In this house, books were written such as The Ministry of Healing, Gospel Workers, Education, etc. These books may not have become best-sellers, but the words written therein still provide relevant guidance for every Christian. One thing the tour guide said that really struck a chord was that James and Ellen White spent most of their lives moving around, staying with families, and Elmshaven was finally a house she can call her own. One in which she spent the last fifteen years of her life. It struck a chord, because I can totally empathize about the “moving around” and not having a home to call my own.
What a stark contrast between the two, and very different achievements in life. However, when all the touring was done, I found myself much comforted and filled to the heart by the blessing of knowing that if given the choice of a life to live, I would have chosen the latter.
