TREASURES

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth
and rust destroy, and where thieves break in
and steal."  Matthew 6:19

      Upon my return from Bible study one day I entered the house through the sliding glass door on the patio.  Immediately I noticed that the TV in the recreation room was missing.  In the kitchen I saw that the microwave oven was gone.

      I became alarmed and moaned, "Oh no! We've been robbed!"  Before I could panic the above Scripture came to mind.  I calmed down and went throughout the house to see what else had been stolen.  As I walked through the bedroom I noticed clothing hanging out of the dresser drawers.  The jewelry chest my son John and his wife Dina had given to me for Christmas was gone.  I sighed thinking about the beautiful ring with birthstones for each of my six children my son Jerry and his wife Jean had given me was gone, too.

      But the Scripture verse kept running through my mind all the while.   When I discovered my tape player with my favorite song, He is Jehovah by Betty Jean Robinson, was gone I said, "I hope the thieves listen to that tape and get saved."  Out in the garage I discovered R.J.'s roll-around tool chest was missing.  "Oh-oh! R.J. is going to be angry about this."

      Then I remembered the wallet R.J. kept in his sock drawer and hurried into the house to see if it was missing.  Upon finding it I prayed, "Thank You, God! The thieves didn't find R.J.'s wallet with seven-hundred dollars in it.  That should make him feel better."  Even though I felt violated, I didn't get angry.  Another Scripture came to mind reminding me that we should give thanks in all circumstances.  I prayed, "Thank You, Lord, for our furniture and our clothes which weren't stolen.  Praise You, Lord!  We still have our home and plenty of food to eat."

      Before R.J. returned from work I was completely over the shock.  I realized how unimportant things really are, and that we are blessed in so many ways.  But when R.J. found that we had been robbed, he was furious, shouting, "Do you realize how long I had to work to buy that tool chest and all those tools?  Do you have any idea how much it will cost to replace those tools?"  Night after night he sat in his recliner scowling with arms folded, grumbling about his losses.

      I tried to convince him, "R.J., we are fortunate because we still have most of our things and we were not harmed.  You have seven-hundred dollars to buy new tools.  Shouldn't we be thankful for that?"

      I simply could not be mad because the Lord had prepared me in the first moments after I saw that we had been robbed,  I was not to treasure material things.  The atmosphere around our house was so gloomy I had to go in the bathroom to sing and praise the Lord.  I prayed, "Dear Jesus, give R.J. peace about this.  Let him see that material things don't matter.  And Jesus, bless the thieves and turn their lives around."

      R.J.'s anger finally subsided after be bought a new roll-a-round tool chest and some new tools.  He was finally able to say, "I have to admit you're right.  We are blessed.  It could have been much worse."

      This lesson about not storing up treasures on earth keeps me alert to what really is important in life.