Treasure

Today, I was asked why I don't move closer to my workplace. (Last year when I moved, I moved farther from my workplace, not closer to it.) The diplomatic answer I gave was based on what I shared in my previous post: I enjoy relaxing during my long commute. I want to leave work at work. The non-diplomatic answer I didn't give, which of course has more details, is why the [bleep] would I want to live closer to a job I've grown to hate, which has an almost incessant threat of layoff looming in my cubicle, just to save a few teensy minutes of traffic time? (Also, the rent is cheaper out here, but shh, don't tell anybody.) So, during my ride home this evening, I passed a random fireworks display... on December 3rd... in a parking lot along the highway. Who the heck does that? (Of course I could easily find out by Googling, but I'd like to marvel at the mystery for now.) That is why I live out here. I belong out here with other random people.

I've invested a lot of time in this area for church activities. (Work is a 45-minute drive, but church is a 6-minute drive.) I have sentimental feelings for this area. I feel safe in this area. I like this area. This area feels like home to me. That is why I want to live here.

"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)

From what I understand, these Bible verses (which are sandwiched, in context, between verses that talk about fasting and verses that talk about money) are talking about storing invisible treasure. From what I've been taught and understand, one way of storing treasure in heaven is by praying. When I leave this earth, I'm not going to be able to take anything with me. What I'll have waiting for me in heaven -- which is my eternal home -- is what I've stored up, what my Jesus has prepared for me, any type of reward that He has for me, any kind of cool new job He has for me to do, etc. I also like what my pastor says: You can tell where your heart is by looking at your checkbook. If my heart is at church, I'll probably give plenty of money to it. If my heart is with my cats, I'll probably be plunking down plenty of bucks at the vet's office. If my heart is extra caffeinated, I'll probably be chugging down plenty of Starbucks. I'm sure you get the picture. The point is that wherever we invest our money, our time, our energy, etc., is where our hearts will be.

Speaking of pictures, at the beginning of this post I shared a photo of my cat playing with her semi-new toy. Through the years, I've learned that I can spend as much money on my cats as I want, but they won't really care about the costliness or the fanciness of their toys. So, it's probably wisest to refrain from buying expensive toys for them, because they'll play with pretty much anything. In the photo, Choochie is playing with a woman's hairband that I snipped to transform it into an elastic string-thingy. (I bought about 6 of those at Target for a few bucks. I figure they're several months' worth of random feline fun.)

Honestly, I think what my cats treasure more than some chewed-up, soggy toys is my presence. They've known me for years. They know they can count on me to love them. At breakfast, Choochie jumps on my banqueting table and purrs while I eat. When the weather is very cold, Macho finds my lap and curls up in it. Sometimes after I return home from an extended absence, Choochie will find my thigh, sit on it, stare at me, and purr. On weekday mornings if I don't leave home, Macho will forsake his morning nap and snuggle next to me instead.

Yes, it's a little bit silly of me to use my cats as examples, but my point is that we've bonded. Our treasure is our relationship.

Perhaps I'm just getting older, or perhaps I'm discovering something that I should have known all along, or perhaps I'm reinforcing something that I've always known, or perhaps it's all this fire that I've come through... but I've noticed that I value relationship more than almost anything else. (If your home catches on fire while you're in it, you're going to grab your most valuable, most necessary possessions -- or, at least, what you can grab in a split second -- before you evacuate.) My relationship with God is definitely the relationship that I value the most. I'm toast without Him, for real. (Relationship is what will motivate me to do pretty much anything, but shh, don't tell anybody.)

At a previous job, about a decade ago, a manager from another department asked me to write up a procedure for his job. He was reluctant to get it done, because he didn't think it was necessary to write out how to do something that he had done hundreds of times. But since he heard I was a writer, he asked me to do it for him. Perhaps I had a blank look on my face while he was speaking with me, because he seemed like he was scrambling to get me excited. Then I think I asked him if I would get paid overtime for helping him out. I think he said yes, and he added, "Money! That's what motivates people."

Actually, any blank look that I had on my face may have been starvation, because back then I was so broke that I was living on tuna and popcorn, but that's another story. Overtime would have been an extremely welcome addition to my bank account. But I think he was on to something.

Yes, money is definitely important. I drag my [bleep] to work every morning because I need money to pay my bills, etc. But it grieves me that people think money is what makes the world go 'round.

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men..." (Colossians 3:23)

You know it's time to look for a new job when... you enjoy living far, far away from your current one.

You know it's time to look for a new job when... your coworkers ask you, "What do you think about [insert minor detail here that doesn't need to be debated]?" and you think to yourself, "I don't [bleep]ing care, I don't [bleep]ing care, I don't [bleep]ing care," but you say out loud, "I'll be happy to do whatever you decide."

You know it's time to look for a new job when... you discover that your heart isn't in your current one anymore.

Sure, money motivates people. But if given the choice, I would rather have a smaller paycheck, less stress, and more happiness than a huge paycheck, killer stress, and several episodes of almost-trips back to the psych hospital. Please stop treating me like a money-making machine. I am a person who has ideas, feelings, and emotions. Keep your money. I want relationship.

It saddens and frustrates me to think of how Christmas can become just another pile of unwanted expensive gifts buried underneath piles of fancy wrapping paper. OK, so you spent hours shopping for presents that took seconds to unwrap, that will take months to pay off, and that attracted very little of my interest. Thank you for the thought and the effort. But would it have killed you to have spent more time just getting to know me instead? Just sit across a table from me, eyeball to eyeball, and have a deep conversation with me. That will be a more enjoyable Christmas than you could ever imagine.

What's going to matter more in the end: the stuff you bought for me or the relationship that you invested in me?

I'm heart-squirting now, but can you tell where my treasure is?

Another pastor at my church compares worship leaders to restaurant waiters. "Good morning. Today, I'll be serving you and your King a brilliantly prepared meal of praise and worship. I'll leave you two alone now, but please holler if you need anything." I like that analogy. But I personally like to think of us worship leaders more like Throne Room tour guides. "And over here, ladies and gentlemen, we have the sea of glass. I would direct your attention to the four living creatures, but I imagine that your attention is already directed toward them. And, of course, we have The Throne, where God is seated. Uh, if you'll excuse me, I need to run to my Daddy's lap for a moment, cry between His shoulders, and shower His face with kisses. Be right back. Or please follow me if you want. Just make yourselves at home. Actually, please move in and make this your permanent home, if you haven't already."

My point is that our society seems to value money-treasures more highly than relationship-treasures, especially during Christmastime. I think whichever treasure you value more is where you'll park your heart.

But I think Somebody is truly the Expert at balancing both types of treasures perfectly.

The most precious, expensive Treasure ever known to humankind was born in a stable more than 2,000 years ago. My Daddy gave His only begotten Son to me... so that I could become His child... and Jesus was born here on earth as a Man with whom I can have the most important relationship of my life... forever. He and I have been bonding here on earth, and we'll get to hang out together in heaven for an eternity, too. Yes, of course I want to live in heaven because I don't want to live in hell. But the more I get to know Jesus, the more I want to live in heaven, because He lives there. I've invested my heart into Him. I belong with Him. I want Him. My home is wherever He is.

So, whether I spend Christmas in a house full of dozens of relatives, and I get a nice haul of hundreds of dollars' worth of gift-wrapped presents... or whether I spend Christmas in an apartment with my two cats snuggling for warmth, eating pizza and root beer, watching a Lord of the Rings movie marathon, and having a deep conversation with my Savior, I want to celebrate His birthday. I want to celebrate His existence. I want to celebrate Him. I want my investment, my treasure, my heart to be with Him.