I had been out shopping for the perfect outfit to wear to a wedding. By definition, a perfect outfit is always cute but not “cutesie,” flattering but modest, noticeable in the most unnoticeable kind of way, both trendy and classy, and at least 50% off at the store. I had additional requirements for my perfect outfit, including the ability to roll and climb and bend and stretch and move like a Russian gymnast without anything showing that shouldn’t. I had to photograph my friend’s wedding and needed to do my job well all the while wearing a fully functional and perfect outfit. If you’re a woman, you know that the aforementioned ensemble is impossible to find.
An hour had passed by in my hunt and I didn’t have a thing to show for my efforts. I had worked a full day, I was tired, and my stomach was growling louder than a disgruntled guard dog so I made the executive decision to throw in the towel. As I was driving home, I suddenly realized that I had nothing to eat in the house. Visualizing my open refrigerator, lazy Susan, and pantry I knew my scan was correct – I would have to stop if I didn’t want to waste away.
I rushed to the nearest grocery store and began to think about what would be the easiest and quickest thing to make when I noticed a small, elderly woman slowly making her way to the entrance, hunched over and focused on making it inside. As I looked at her white, tightly permed hair, thoughts began to scroll past my mind “What do you want when you’re that age? What do you hope to have stored up? What do you want to be remembered by?”
Slowly I began to see a vision of a tall mound of gold, not representing money but representing treasures stored up in heaven. I began to realize again what I want at the end of my life. It’s not a perfect outfit for every occasion. It’s not a perfect ministry or the perfect husband or a perfect life. It’s not the guarantee that every dream I have will come true or that I will never experience pain or heartache. But with all my heart I want that tall mountain of treasures representing the times I spent with the Lord: times abiding in Him, growing closer to Him, listening to His heart, loving Him just a little more, tarrying in His presence just a little longer; times where I obeyed God, where I trusted Him at His word; times where I shared HIS love, HIS money trusted to me on this earth; times where I shared food and clothed those who would have been without; times where His grace was sufficient; times where I rejoiced as He did exceedingly, abundantly more than I could have ever hoped or imagined; and time after time after time where I simply got lost in His love. That’s the mountain I want when my hair is white and permed. That’s what I hope my years will perpetuate by the time I make my own slow walk into a grocery store.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.“ Matthew 6:19-21
I know I haven’t arrived and have a long way to go before a mountain representing those types of treasures would even be seen. I know that right now, my storage unit in heaven may only look like a few gold pieces pushed together to form an anthill, but little by little I want to spend my life loving and pleasing my God and doing so by His grace.
Please know today how much the Father loves you, desires to spend time with you, and has great and marvelous plans for your life. Take time today to ask Him about your mound of gold and praise Him for whatever He has in store.
Be blessed and loved!
