But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:20-21 (NIV)
Adopted daughter is “home” for the weekend. True, she is not my legally adopted daughter, but she is my daughter none the less. And true, she has another home, but ours is home, too. She cannot come home for Christmas so we held an early Christmas dinner and all of her adopted family came. No, none of them are really related to her, but they all pray for her and love her and that’s really what makes family isn’t it? More than blood, those choices of who we bring into our life and love are strong bonds. Her Aunts Patty, Penny, and Bethany, Uncles Mike, Rick, and Patrick, Grandmas Vera Jo and Emily, Grandpas Buck and Bob and guardian angel, Carolyn all came bearing food and gifts to celebrate her accomplishments. We admired her business cards that proclaim she is an ENGINEER. Uncle Mike teased her about the train she drives and wanting to take a ride on it. We listened to her talk of her work and her new life and watched with amazement her happiness and animation. Uncle Patrick noted that he could “see the joy on her face.” We ate until we were stuffed and then, held our sides as we laughed at each others stories and basked in a preChristmas glow of friends and loved ones. As I prepped for the big meal, I worked hard to make sure that I chose dishes that did not require a lot of work or prepared them in advance so that when our guests arrived, I would not be stressed. I wanted to be able to spend time with my guests and not be going crazy in the kitchen. But, there was one thing that I did not skimp on, the dishes. Ordinarily, with that big of a crowd, I would have used paper. But, “Grandma” Vera Jo was coming and she has been teaching us that we should use our good china. It is not that Vera Jo thinks she is queen and deserves the best. She would be just as happy with paper. But, Vera Jo reminds us that keeping those beautiful plates and glasses stuffed into a cabinet where they are never used makes them worthless. It also shows our guests that we do not care enough to use our very best for them. So, I dug out the china, crystal and silverware given to us at our wedding almost twenty eight years ago. They looked beautiful and made the evening special. When the night was winding down the best conversations took place in the kitchen as everyone helped to wash and dry. It wasn’t the dishes that made the night a success; it was the love and friendship that filled our house. That includes a heart that is open and freely giving of not just the leftovers, but what is our best. How about you? What is your attitude towards the things that you cherish? In letting our treasures go, we find the greatest happiness.
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