Several years ago I was driving to my daughter’s college to bring her home for
the Summer break. It was a long trip so I stopped at a little gas station
halfway there to refuel. I pulled up to the pumps behind a beat up old car. It
was at least 20 years old. The metal was rusting, the tires were balding, and
the muffler was held up by a coat hanger. A young teenage girl sat in the front
passenger seat and two much younger girls were in the back.
After filling my gas tank I walked in to pay. The mother of the girls was at the
counter desperately digging through her purse. She had bought some small
snacksfor her children but still needed five more dollars to pay for them. She
sighed and started to pick up the snacks to put them back. “I got it,” I said
and tossed the money on the counter.
The Mom turned and looked at me with moist eyes. Then suddenly she stepped
forward and hugged me. I felt a burst of warmth in my heart that I am sure
traveled to my cheeks as well.
The Mom let me go and said, “Thank you.” She smiled, grabbed the snacks and
hurried out to her children. I stood there watching them leave and said a prayer
for them. Then I walked out into the sunshine feeling lighter than the air
around me.
Looking back on that memory reminded me too of the passage in the Bible where
Jesus asks the reluctant, rich man to give his wealth to the poor so that he
would have “Treasure in Heaven”. I felt so sad for that rich man. He had given
up so much in order to keep so little. The treasures of Heaven are beyond
anything this world can give us. I know this because we carry
some of these treasures within us. The love we share, the good we do, and the
kindness we give to others are all treasures of Heaven. They bring us so much
joy. They give us so much peace.
They light our paths here on Earth and lead us back to Our Father in Heaven.
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.