The Real Treasure in the Room

I stood there a moment in my mom’s old apartment looking at what was left of her possessions. I stared at the room full of furniture and other items. Each one seemed to have a story, a memory; each item a treasure. It was hard to focus on the task at hand and not let my emotions get the best of me.

The previous week we had moved my mom into an assisted living facility because she was no longer able to live on her own. Because her room in the assisted living facility was significantly smaller, we could only move a small portion of her belongings with her. This meant we had to sift through her remaining possessions and decide what to do with them. It was a poignant moment that reminded me of how quickly time passes and what is important in life.

For a moment I paused in my mom’s old apartment and noted how my family had come together to help with my mom’s transition to assisted living. We were together for this moment, pulled together by my mom’s need to make a change in her living arrangements. It was a reminder to me of the importance of family relationships. This was the real treasure in the room.

Jesus reminded us in Matthew 6:19-21, “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 (NIV).”

© 2018 CGThelen