Where Is Your Treasure?

by Barbara Chadwick

“Ma’am we can’t find your suitcase.” You know that feeling? You were tired before the words were said…

The last leg of our journey – Sitka to Juneau. They said, “Please exit the plane and take all your belongings.” Hmmm, not a good sign. “Stay in the airport and we’ll update you in an hour whether we can land in Juneau.” An hour passed and you guessed it. The plane would go on to Anchorage – not Juneau!

So we did the next best thing to going home – actually, a wonderful thing. We called our kids who live in Sitka. They came, took us home, loved on us, gave us their bed and use of their car the next morning at 4:00AM (they picked it up later that day at the airport)

At the counter they changed our ticket for the next morning’s flight and got our luggage off the plane. That is, they got two of the three bags off! Oh well, one of the retrieved bags was my overnight bag. I had the important stuff, right?

We got home (Juneau home) at 7:00AM the next morning. You know the words to that old western song, El Paso? “I’m getting weary, unable to ride.” Then you open the door to your home. Wow, can you describe that feeling?

So almost noon Kenneth said, “I’m going to the airport to make a claim for your suitcase. Would you make an inventory?” That was no problem until I sat down with my pad and pen.

I had gone shopping in California. Twice. New clothes. Mother gave me some new shoes, my brother-in-law gave us five avocados from their tree and my sister gave us a jar of olallieberry jelly. Thank goodness I had receipts for the new things.

Then there was the jewelry pouch. I got it about 15 years ago and each time Kenneth would give me a new piece of jewelry I’d put it in there so it would be ready to go on the next trip. So I started listing the things in that pouch: Gold chains & bracelets, pendants of pearls, emeralds, rubies and rings of the same. There were sterling silver necklaces, bracelets and earrings. I don’t even know how many earrings. Over the years I didn’t stop to think how much value was accumulating in that pouch.

As the list got longer I began to feel really bad. My heart was feeling heavy. My brain was pondering my treasure – lost!

But then I thought of that verse in Matthew that says, For where your treasure is there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21 Was my heart there? I truly was feeling just awful about the idea of it all being lost.

But I don’t really want to feel tied to earthly things. I want my heart and my mind to be concerned about/tuned to/aware of heavenly things. These things are for this earth. Our real home is in heaven.

You remember when Mary was there with the baby, the Savior of the world, and Joseph stood beside her. There had been no room in the Inn. But there was The Star in the sky. There were the angels and there were the shepherds who had come to worship Him. And the scripture says, Mary pondered these things in her heart. Luke 2:19 There was the treasure of the world in front of her in the manger.

That’s where I want my treasure to be. I want my brain and my heart to ponder on Him. Jesus

P.S I did get my suitcase back and by the way they don't reimburse for jewelry after all!