Dear Faith Family,

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 destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, Matthew 6:19-21.

Our young family was enjoying a day at the park in Camden, SC.  While our children were playing in the sand my wife and I shared a few precious moments of “adult” conversation.

It wasn’t until back safe at home that evening that I discovered just how productive the day had been.  Let me explain.  Our son informed me that our daughter had a knife.  Wait!  A what?!

Sure enough.  Our daughter was in her top bunk with a black, Buck, folding pocketknife.  One that I had never seen before.  One that I had not given to her.  One that she shouldn’t be playing with at such a young age!  One that prompted some questions and needed some answers.

So, where did the knife come from?  Let’s go back to the park in Camden.  Apparently, our daughter found a plastic army man in the sand while she was busy at play.  A little boy (also having a really big play) discovered the army man in my daughter’s possession and decided that he wanted it.  Determined to obtain the army man from my daughter, he offered her his pocketknife as a trade!  My smart daughter (she takes after her mother) traded a plastic army man for a Buck pocketknife!  I’m thinking she needs to go into sales.  I’m also thinking the boy needs to not go into sales!

It strikes me that at times we might find ourselves on either end of that trade.  Sometimes we trade something of little value for something of great value.  Other times we trade what is valuable for what is not.  Are you with me?

Consider for a moment what we consider valuable (not what we say is valuable but what we trade for).  Like how many times have we traded away time with our God for something more entertaining?  Or when have we traded away an opportunity to help someone else for our own self-gratification?  Or when have we traded an investment in something eternal for a soon-to-be forgotten toy?

Here’s the question:  What am I trading today for?

Trading up,
Pastor Karl