“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

I've asked God recently to teach me what He will. I don't always know what to look into, what to study specifically but I want to know more. Lately, God has been taking me on a journey to realize this world is nothing more than a fading fancy.

This lesson opened my eyes even more than they had been before. I think we all realize this world has nothing to offer, but it's what's up in Heaven that just made me sit in awe of God.

Recently my kids and I were in our old neighborhood where we used to live about seven years ago. I was shocked. What used to be a well-maintained neighborhood was now overgrown with paint peeling off the houses and a certain lovely house that had been torn down. I remember the owner of the house riding his lawn mower and taking meticulous care of the rainbow of rhododendrons along his fence. He would spend hours in his yard and it was lovely.

Now, it's nothing more than an overgrown, empty field.

And God told me that everything in this life is temporary. The work we do to keep our yards manicured, the care we give to our homes, it's all fleeting and in vain, really. One day, the yard will belong to someone else when we either sell our homes or pass away. Everything we own is only new for a time, until some better gadget is released or our clothing becomes threadbare and we donate them to Goodwill.

Basically, everything in this world isn't YOURS. At one point or another, it belonged to someone else (as in a house you buy), or it will belong to someone else (as in giving to Goodwill). Some things, like our cars, will just wear out and one day end up in the junkyard.

Nothing belongs to us, not really. We can't take anything with us when we die. Therefore, everything that was ours gets divied up among the family.

This world was created for the collective "us". Humanity basically sets up camp wherever they stop roaming. "Here's good." They build on that land, but it will belong to someone else one day when they're long gone.

The amazing thing about Heavenly treasures is that they never fade. But more amazing than that -- God creates them SPECIFICALLY for each one of us. Because we will live with Him eternally, NONE of our treasures will belong to anyone else. They will be FOREVER ours.

If the Good Lord gives us a crown, it will never break down, fade, or belong to anyone else. It will forever be OURS.

What gave me a sense of awe was knowing that God creates a little slice of Heaven specifically tailored for each of us in what we call our "mansions". We don't wander through Heaven and lay down roots wherever we stop roaming. We are GIVEN a space that ONLY belongs to us.

And it will never be handed down, never become a vacant lot, never have paint peeling, never rust, never get old. Everything will be "forever new".

Perhaps I just internalized Heavenly treasures for the first time. Because we know this already. But it was just something I found profound in that here on earth, we just pass through. What we call our "home" is only our home for a few years until we move on or pass on. But THERE... our home is CREATED by God Almighty personally, and we will never move on or pass on.

I guess what moved me was knowing that somewhere in Heaven, God has carved out a place for ME. This is BECKA'S mansion and no one else's. There is no special place created just for me on this earth. This world belongs to God and we merely pass through.

But there, He has created a home just for ME.

And for each one of you.

I LOVE THAT!!

~~Becka