My parents are getting ready to move from their home of eighteen years. My sisters and I are helping them sort through a lifetime of stuff...stuff that's been transported from one house to another over the last 40-plus years. There's a storage room that is filled with books that bring back childhood memories. There's a closet that holds toys from when I was a little girl. So many things.
Many of the items we're sorting through are being thrown away or given away. Some are being held out for a garage sale. There are quite a few things we're going to sell online. And amidst all the books, toys, furniture {stuff}, we've found some treasures. Like Mom's vintage fine Christmas china that she's had for years. As I was preparing to list it for sale, I did a little research to find its value. Mom wanted to list it for $75. I found that she should list it for $400! Then there are the vintage records...lots of them. The more we research their value, we are finding that those old records that we haven't listened to in years are worth a good amount of money.
Back in November and December, I participated in Sarah Markley's 100 Joys. That started me thinking about all the little treasures in life that I take for granted, pushing them to the back corners; for instance, my children's laughter; my husband's desire to make me happy; my friend's encouraging words. Those are the priceless things in life, yet somehow it's the trivial things that make priority in my life; i.e., laundry, dishes, tv.
Another treasure that I take for granted is my Bible. In America, Bibles are readily available...in an abundance of translations, prints, sizes. Yet there are people around the world who are killed if found with one in their possession. The Bible, God's written words to us, holds the answers to all of life's questions. Yet there are days when mine sits unread.
Treasures are things we find valuable. And when we find value in them, we are certain to take care of them, to make sure they don't slip away.
I want, everyday, to treasure the people God has placed in my life. I want to treasure His words to me.
What do you treasure?
Ah treasures ... so priceless. So unique. That would be a hard job to go through a house like that I would want to keep it all. Good luck...
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