8-365 Store up treasure

Another late night, before bed photo snap. I have to admit, I'm a fan of jewelry. First, Vince is GREAT at picking out stuff I like and sometimes it just shows up. Better than flowers folks! Second, we quickly learned that the amount of traveling we do, it just isn't practical to buy big mementos. But it's a snap to bring back a memorable pair of earrings or necklace.
But the photo also brings other thoughts to mind. I've mentioned it before in the blog but I'm pretty much an atheistic agnostic, but I was raised a devout Southern Baptist; moreover, most of the men in my family are some form of Baptist preacher. I can generally quote scripture with the best of them.

But I'm not one to toss out the good with the bad and there are times when scripture comes to mind, like this one:

Matthew 16:19-20 -- Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy and thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

This particular passage is often used to encourage the faithful to expect their rewards in the next life. It's used a lot when people are disappointed that good deeds don't seem to be rewarded or when they are observing/complaining that they don't have material wealth. There are other applications but most go something along those lines.

Personally, I've come to think of this very good piece of advice to mean that we should put our energy into non-temporal things that don't fade or wear out, and that can't be taken from you like love, generosity, etc. I luvs me some cool jewelry, but if that and pretty much any thing else I have were to disappear tomorrow I wouldn't be heartbroken. My treasure is my relationship with Vince and my friends and yes, even my wack-a-do family. I'm going to keep that in mind as I drive my brother to the cancer treatment center to see his friend. I don't believe there's some "reward" waiting in some far-off wonderland called heaven for doing this or anything else that may be considered "good." The treasure is simply in the doing.