I was driving my son to the
sheltered workshop for the handicapped where he works a few days each week. My
seventeen year old car was cruising along while the Spring sun shined down. The
trees were budding and flowers were popping up along the side of the road. I
looked over at my son who was humming along to a song on the radio. He turned
his head, smiled and said, " I love you Daddy." I smiled back and said, "I love
you too son."
The green light ahead turned yellow and I slowed to a
stop. Suddenly, a gold Mercedes Benz screeched to a halt next to me. The owner
was yelling into a cell phone and slammed his hand on the steering wheel as he
glared at the now red light. After a minute the light changed and he
sped away with a scowl as big as his face. I drove on
shaking my head and said a little prayer that the owner of that expensive car
would one day realize the true treasures in life.
That miserable man in the Mercedes reminded me again
of the worthlessness of wealth and the pricelessness of love in the eyes of
eternity. All of his money hadn’t put a smile on his face. All of his things
hadn’t given him peace. All of his wealth hadn’t filled his heart with happiness
or brought meaning to his life. He seemed lost, separated from love, and
separated from God. He was trapped in a golden cage and didn’t even know it.
Please don’t spend your life in the pursuit of the
worthless "fool’s gold" that our society holds dear. Don’t try to gain the whole
world and in the process lose your soul. Instead spend your days here building
"the Treasures of Heaven" in your heart. If you do then your days will be
blessed with sunshine, smiles, and sweet laughter. If you do then you will not
only fill your soul with love but you will also scatter joy to the world around
you. If you do then you will be able to give God the most priceless gift of all:
your life lived with love.
Joseph J. Mazzella joemazzella@frontier.com
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.