Without A Trace

May 23, 2012

Where Grandma Cole’s house stood 194?-2011

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~ Matthew 6:19-21

Quick Sip

Recently, Grandma Cole’s house was bulldozed to the ground and removed from the spot it had stood on for more than 60 years. Sadly, not a trace of it remains. Only by the gap in the trees that surrounded it and the driveway that’s already disappearing, can you tell there might have been a house there at all.

Seeing the spot where her house once stood—a house that was bursting with the memories of raising 10 children, countless grandchildren and great grandchildren, Sunday dinners, family reunions, cousins sharing secrets, tears, and laughter—it struck me how temporary even the most deeply rooted homes can be. In a matter of hours, they can be gone with nothing but memories keeping them alive.

Witnessing how temporary houses really are has made me think about how I need work at putting my treasures in heaven. Especially once we’re back in a more permanent house and I’m taking the time to decorate it and make it feel like home, I need to remember that it, too, can be gone in an instant. Maybe not by a bulldozer, but a tornado or fire would be just as effective.

If I place all my treasures in my home here, when it’s gone, I will feel like I’m left with nothing. But if my treasure is really in heaven, then no matter what happens to our home here, those things that really matter to me will always be safe.

Long Drink

Here are some verses and reflection questions if you would like to dig deeper:

Luke 12:22-34