Where do you store your treasures?

We decided to put one of our cars up for sale on Sunday evening because we purchased a van last month to have more room with having a 10 month old, and God-willing, more kids in the future. My Husband and I were kicking around the idea of maybe having three vehicles, but it didn't make sense to us since we don't have room to store three vehicles. I think what really had us holding on (or maybe it was just me) was the sentimental value and memories with the car. 

Well, my Husband had someone wanting to look at the car after work on Monday but told me before he left for work that he would be coming home with the car and I could say "goodbye" to it. To my surprise, my Husband called, said they wanted the car and I needed to come pick him up. That meant I couldn't say "goodbye" to it. I felt the tears well up in my eyes and the goose egg in my throat. I choked down the tears and decided to give it to God and ask for comfort. The memories of the car were swirling around in my head:

• This is the car my Husband drove when we first met. (Big deal for me because I had been praying for someone like my Husband for a long time. I'll share our love story some other time because it's long, but God is truly amazing!) 
• This is the car that drove us to where he proposed.
• The car we drove on our honeymoon.
• The car we drove to follow the funeral home car to bury my Dad after he passed.
• The car we drove to the hospital when my water broke.
• The car we drove our little guy home in from the hospital after he was born.
• Etc. and so on

My heart was aching. I ended up crying halfway there and felt like I was saying goodbye to things that were familiar to me and were around when my Dad was alive - such as this car. My Dad was also around when my Husband and I met, married, and found out we were pregnant.

I know that it's just a car - a hunk of metal - no eternal value. Through all of this though, it's amazing how God has exposed things in my heart that don't need to be there. 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) 

Ugh - a punch to the heart when I recalled this Scripture. Where was my focus, really? I had been storing up more treasures on earth than in heaven. It can be so easy to do. So easy to focus on what we can see and what's tangible instead of what is unseen. Forgive me, Lord! 

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

I want to challenge and encourage you. Do a heart check. Where do you store your treasures? On earth or in heaven? Do things of this world consume you? Checking facebook, email, etc. is not bad, but do you enjoy watching TV or checking facebook more than spending time alone with God, our Creator? 

If you are struggling with storing your treasures on earth instead of in heaven, or are not sure if you are, pray that God would reveal to you the areas of your heart that are being held captive by things other than Him and that He would transform your heart, break your chains and give you a love for Him that is deeper than the love of anything or anyone else. 

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." - Colossians 3:1-10 (NIV)

Do I struggle as well? Of course I do. Know that things of this world will fade away. We are here on this earth for only a short time. Hold onto the hope we are offered from God through his Son Jesus Christ. Seek His face continually. One day there will be no more pain, hurting, darkness, sadness, struggle for those who are in Christ Jesus - hallelujah!

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39

Even though selling the car was a deep and painful reminder that I miss my Dad like crazy and it's still raw in my heart - I know that someday when I see him again in Heaven we will be rejoicing and praising the King of Kings! Until then, I will continue to seek the face of our Lord God Almighty and rely on Him for comfort, peace, joy, and wisdom in this temporary life.