“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. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" Matthew 6:19-22

Today, March 1st we start packing in earnest for our move at the end of the month. What we cannot give to our children for their homes or get rid of we will put in storage until we have a more permanent situation. My mother's house is full to the rafters (literally) with furniture in all sorts of repair and disrepair. As I look over and sort things to box up and give away, I realized how unimportant most of these things are. My family is healthy and despite the changes we face there is love in abundance and laughter still breaks through. The love of God and of my family is my treasure. The rest is just stuff.

Jesus instructs us to lay up treasures in heaven. Compassion, forgiveness, tenderness and justice,and love are both the gifts of heaven and the activity that makes us rich in heavenly treasures. During times of transitions likes these it is easy to focus on earthly treasures and to be miserly with the true treasures. We are human and the pressure of transition and change gets to us all. But we are invited to remember our real treasures today and to know that God is walking with us and guiding us each step of the way.

Today, I ask God to give me eyes to see the treasures around me, the pateince to do the tasks ahead of me and the peace to know that this transition is in God's hands completely. May we all store up treasures in heaven by loving and forgiving in challenging times.