December 9th Advent day 13

Today I started packing for our holidays.  Bit of a logistical nightmare to be honest. Firstly I discovered that it is going to cost twice as much to hire booster seats for the boys than it is going to cost to hire the actual car!!!!   So that made me wonder if I could arrange the packing in such a way as to be able to fit one, possibly two booster seats in.  Hmmmm.  We are taking one large suitcase and 5 pieces of handluggage.  Might be possible. 

So I went up into the roof to get down the cases and realised that we are really one short.  So off to the charity shops to see if I could find one.  Bingo. £3!   Love a bargain.  And then to start the actual packing.  Who needs what and can we really get away with only one pair of shoes each?  Yes. We can.
Every time we go away we take too much with us. I am quite good at packing light, but there's always that temptation just to throw in a couple of extra t shirts or whatever at the last minute.  And they always come back unworn.  So this time I'm being ruthless. Not taking anything we wont really need. 


All of today's activity has made me think about that well worn little phrase ' You can't take it with you'.   Which people usually say with reference to worldly wealth and spending the grandchildren's inheritance.  And of course that is true - thankfully.    But  I think there are probably things we can take with us when we leave this life and move into the next.  Things like  character, integrity, love and kindness.  Jesus took His wounds and scars with Him into his resurrected life so I have no reason to believe that we shall be any different. 


We spend our lives metaphorically ' packing our case'.  The Bible calls it storing up our treasures in heaven.
 "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." Matt. 6:19-21

We pack in the case things that we treasure.  Some people will get to the end of their lives and find their cases are full of ' stuff' and when they get to heavenly customs they will find their ' stuff'  isnt allowed in.    Others will concentrate on packing forgiveness and prayer and fellowship and the fruits of the spirit.  These are the things they value above all worldly things.    And these are the things which will be waved through heavenly customs with a smile.




Lord, as I prepare for Christmas help me to remember that Im also preparing for something else.  Something eternal.  And that what I invest in today may well affect that eternal destiny.   Help me to remember what is truly important in this season of gifts and spending and feasting.  That it is more important to love than to be right.  And that I can be rich beyond my wildest imaginings if only I spend myself on the right sort of treasure.