Reformation Lutheran 1997 Lenten Devotional - Number 23
March 6, 1997. Today's Bible verse is Matthew 6: 16-34
What is Truly Important?
When I was 10 years old my father was fired from
or quit his job as an engineer at Learjet. Even he isn't sure
which it was. I had two little brothers ages 6 years and six
weeks. My father decided rather than going back to work he would
start a business of his own and so my childhood became a little
different from all of my friends. Daddy's business designed and
manufactured valves for general aviation. As soon as he was in
production of his first product, the bottom fell out of the industry
and his only customer wanted to cancel their order.
It goes without saying that we were a little strapped.
My mother had us convinced that soyburger (a mixture of soybeans
and ground beef) was a gourmet treat and that you couldn't got
tuna casserole at even the finest restaurants. Gas was ten cents
per gallon and one summer my mother decided we needed to go on
vacation, but just one wasn't good enough we would go almost weekly.
She decided we would go to a different resort spot in Kansas.
Once a week we would load in the car with a picnic
lunch and head to small town Kansas to check out their playground
equipment. I can still tell you that Halstead ranks high and
that the fish farm in Pratt is really big. I remember it as one
of the happiest times in my life. The most important things we
had a lot of were fun and love. I can't recall a single material
item I had even though I know I had toys and games.
Sometimes I find myself losing sight of what will
really be important in 20 years. It won't be the brand of jeans
my children had or my car's odometer reading. It will be the
love and laughter we've shared and hopefully, the Christian values
I've instilled. I have a poem framed on the wall that helps remind
me:
One Hundred Years from now, it will not matter.
what kind of car I drove,
what kind of house I lived in,
how much I had in my bank account,
nor what my clothes looked like.
But the world may be a little better
because I was important
in the life of a child.
Prayer: Dear
Heavenly Father, today, help me remember what is really dear and
about the life you have given me. Not the material things, but
the love of others and your gracious love shown to us by the gift
of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen
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