Freedom is a Treasure

      Finding a photo album in a stack at an estate sale always surprises, and saddens me. In between the worn covers the memories of a family still exist. The bride in her wedding finery, chubby cheeked babies with toothless grins, graduations, grandparents...

     Many of our family's photos are in my possession, and I treasure each one! It's fun to look at the serious pictures taken in the early 1900's - everyone posed in their best outfit - and think about the life they led. The stories told sound like pages from a history book - one great-great grandmother lived in a sod house on the plains and raised thirteen children!

     In those pictures I also find men and women who loved their country and were willing to leave the comfort of home and family to fight for freedom.

     This picture of a great-uncle was taken not long before he left to serve in World War II. The ship he served on was bombed off the coast of Italy, and he was one of the men that lost their life that day. I've contacted the survivors - hoping to find more information about this brave uncle, and while none of them knew him, many shared memories from the war. All were heroes, willing to give their lives for something they treasured - freedom!

     Though the freedom of our country has been hard won, Paul states in the book of Romans that we are slaves. Not slaves to a tyrant ruling with an iron hand over our nation, but to sin. Jesus stated that, "whoever commits sin is a slave to sin."  Without a courageous Messiah, One who was willing to die for our freedom, we would remain slaves.

     Because of the death of Jesus Christ we have all been given the opportunity to know freedom. To be set free from the penalty of sin - eternal death, and receive eternal life. Our part in this war is to believe that Jesus came to earth, died on the cross, was buried and rose again - to believe the truth!

"...If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31b-32)

   
   

To Inherit a Forever Treasure

     Wealth.
     What does wealth look like to you?
     For most, it is something tangible. Stacks of one hundred dollar bills. A pile of gold coins. A beachfront mansion. Diamond jewelry...Treasure you can touch.

   

     
     This treasure is an Eisenberg sterling silver and multi-color rhinestone fur clip dating to the 1940's. The woman who purchased, and wore, this stunning clip would've been considered wealthy at the time! I found it at the bottom of a dilapidated old jewelry box with other cast-offs at an estate sale. Some treasures lose their value to the owner over time. We've all cast something away when it was no longer precious to us!

     So what is something that lasts, a forever treasure?

     A rich young man ran up to Jesus and asked Him how he could inherit eternal life. Perhaps he wanted validation; he went on to say that he had kept the commandments - Do not murder, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother - since he was a youth. Surely this would be enough to gain the treasure of eternal life!

     Jesus looked at him, and in love, told him the truth. "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But the rich young man became sad, and went away grieving.

     The man's wealth was what he treasured...more than eternal life...

    So let's ask Jesus the same question -what we must do to inherit the forever treasure of eternal life? Some of us may give an accounting of all the good we've done and hope this is enough. It can be quite an impressive list!

     Jesus, however, knows that one thing we treasure in our hearts above all.  And...if it isn't Him...He will in love reveal the truth to us - that thing must be moved aside!

     We like the story of the rich young man - because we may think that eternity awaits if we have no wealth - and for most of us, that is not a problem. But what if He tells us to give up our comfortable life near family and friends to share Him with a faraway group of strangers? Or what if He asks for our time to minister to orphans, widows, the sick, hurting?  Is our comfort or time the thing that causes us to turn away sad and grieving?

     Jesus knows that thing we treasure most in our heart - the thing that is our wealth. The thing we want to own and control.

     And He is calling us to let go of it...let go and follow Him!

     Christ is our forever treasure!

(Scripture: Mark 10:17-22)

   

Each Gift a Treasure!

     Imagine over 100 booths, filled with the treasures of as many hunters, all under one roof. Add thousands of people eager to add those treasures to their own collections and you have an event I participated in last Fall!

     In the early morning hours before the sale I walked the aisles, enchanted with the dizzying array of items. Though we all shared a common theme - the items in our booths had to be vintage, hand made or re-purposed - each booth was unique! Over 100 booths full, some, of course, featuring similar items, but each as different as the treasure hunter that had filled them.

     Early one Sunday morning I walked into the sanctuary at church, sat down, and quietly watched what was going on around me.

    Musicians were practicing the songs of worship we would sing, greeters were walking up and down the aisles welcoming new faces, ushers passed out bulletins, and one dear friend sat down, put her arm around me and asked if everything was okay! I must have looked like I was lonely sitting there - and though it was intentional, I was blessed by her concern.

     We, as believer's in Christ are not robots, programmed at the time of our salvation to all do the same thing,  but creative individuals serving our Creator! Our church is made up of many musicians - but when one shares their musical gift it is unique from the others. Each different, each valuable!

     When I walked the aisles at the event last Fall I saw a booth that featured signs. A rustic map of the United States caught my eye, and I wondered why I hadn't been clever enough to think of creating something like that! That thought then grew into, "I need to make these myself for the next event!" In one short moment I had looked, envied, and become ungrateful for the treasures I had to offer - coveting someone else's.

     How often does the same thing happen in church? God gives us the ability to serve in a certain area, and we go about it with a heart to please Him - until we look at where He's placed someone else. Paul recognized this problem and addressed it in 1 Corinthians 12:14-19, "For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body?  If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?"

     If we are all eyes, we will fail to hear the cry of those in need of Christ.
     And if we are all ears, we will not see those who need to be served.

     The truth is, we all need each other, and we need each person just as they are - uniquely gifted. Because God Himself has set us where we are, just as He pleased...