Treasures on earth

I had a visit with my mom today about all the stuff she has accumulated! A lifetime of gifts, purchases, things; some have monetary value, some have sentimental value, some have neither (like her weird little spoon collection). We talked about people who came before us and what they left us and why it matters.

I have a few tokens, gifts, and heirlooms that I treasure because of the people that gave them to me. I know I can’t carry them forward to my next life and they may not mean anything to my children. But I still have them, and I still treasure them. The blanket my Grandmother made for my mom when I was a child, is the bedcover in our spare room. The book my Grandfather gave me when I graduated is in my bookshelf. His mother gave it to him when he finished grade ten. He was the first of his siblings to get that far in his education.

We landed on the importance of the photos. The photos tell the stories of our families. They show the connections, the faces, the relationships. These are the most important things to carry forward.

Whether it is through photos or a precious treasure, I can remember and think of my loved ones and that gives me comfort. I know one day I will see them again.

My family history gives me a framework to build my life. It creates a structure around which I can build my own identity. I am extremely blessed that this history is one of faith, dedication, suffering and love. I want my children to share in this history. I want them to build their own characters in the shadow of the people that came before them.

So yes, its lovely to have physical possessions. Things that I can look at and handle that remind me of the people I have loved. But the stories and shared history… these are the building blocks of my life.

Matthew 6: 19 – 21   Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, 
where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin
do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.