For where your treasure is………..

Three men on their way from a corporate seminar found themselves stuck in an airport awaiting a delayed departure. Bored, small talk ensued, and all three made the usual confessions of being married, having kids, etcetera. Then one of their number proposed the question of what was the most important aspect of his companion’s lives. To relieve the boredom, the first took the initiative and he opened up and told of his career, his climb up the corporate ladder, his successes, his division’s profit margin and projected outlook as well as other business and career related aspects of his life. The second man told that his career was important but he most enjoyed his off time, his sporting trips, and adventure vacations to exotic locations and how the memories of his exploits would always remain with him for all his days.

    When it came time for the third man to tell of his life, he turned to his companions and commented to the other two that although they both had said that they had families, wives and children, when they opened up and started really talking about their lives neither mentioned the families. Neither had told of how they had included their wives in corporate functions or had taken their kids on exotic vacations. He then told his companions of how although his job was important, his family was the center of his universe, of how he cherished every moment he had with his wife and kids and was counting the minutes until he would again have them in his arms at the end of this trip. He pointed out how we are never guaranteed tomorrow and how that he always put his family first in his thoughts.

     He then politely excused himself and produced his cell phone from his overcoat and called his wife. His friends overheard him tell his wife he had called to let her know he had been delayed, and how much he loved her and the children and couldn’t wait to see them.

   The other two men just looked at each other in disbelief, with expressions of having egg on face, both in unison pulled their phones out and called their wives.

Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

In this story, we find three men, who through conversation made it clear to the third where his companions placed their treasure. This scenario does not only apply to men but also to today’s working Mom. In this age we see more and more men and women taking part in activities that do not include the entire family. Is it proper for us to put our treasure in a self-indulgent activity? Have some of us become so wrapped up in our activities that we have forgotten what means the most to us? Are some of us placing our hearts in places other than where we would like to think it is?    

     One topic we will be exploring in this and future sermons is a concept that is taught even in beginning sociology classes, how you “see” yourself, how others see you, and how you really are. Lets take a look at these three following examples.

    I knew two men, both with families, one was constantly talking about how he had just returned from a school event he had attended in which one of his kids had performed or played in. He never missed a school game or other event. From the stories he told, it seemed every weekend he had taken the family on some camping trip or other outing, or included his kids in some home improvement project. Every story started out my wife and I or my son or daughter and I did this or that. I never recall him telling about anything he was involved in that didn’t involve his loved ones. The last time our paths crossed he told me about how great his Kids and their children were doing, his grandchildren the center of his universe.

   The other man, who was quite a sportsman like the second man in the airport story above, was always telling about how he had taken his new Bass boat out and caught his limit of fish, how he had just returned from a hunting trip, about his adventures a field. Never do I recall him telling a story that included his wife or kids. I do recall him on several occasions over the years talking about how he had just bought one of his kids some expensive gift like the new car he purchased for his son when he turned sixteen. Although I haven’t seen this man in several years, I heard from a mutual acquaintance that he and his wife were devastated the day they learned that one of their children had checked into drug rehabilitation, and that they were now raising one of their grandchildren as it’s parents had separated in a devastating divorce and were now unable or unwilling to care for the child.

   An acquaintance who has been taking cake decorating classes at a local hobby center, told me of how she and the other members of the class, all adult women, were concerned about the one member of the group, a girl in her early teens. It seems that the girl was late to every class and never had the supplies necessary. Her Mother would drop her off and always interrupt the class by telling of how she was doing her best to get away from work and then drive home to get the girl and deliver her to the class. Our friend had observed that the Mother was always well dressed, and by her attitude and actions appeared to be employed in a management or professional level position. Although all the members of the class had been provided with a necessary list of needed supplies, this Mother had failed to make sure her child had the required materials. While the girl was in class her Mother would go out into the store and buy expensive cake decorating supplies but not those that the girl needed. It was obvious to our friend that the Mother was capable of affording the materials that the girl needed, but the Mother seemed to ignore her daughter’s requests and provided her with what she (the Mother) wanted to buy.

   From the actions of this Mother and the comments she made in front of our friend and the other ladies in the group, our friend gave it as her opinion that the lady was one of those Mothers that was totally immersed in her career and only had just a few minutes a day to devote to her daughter, basically allowing the child to raise herself.

   In the example of this lady, our friend and the other ladies in the class “saw” or perceived this person as a Mother taking a “fifteen minute manager” approach to parenthood. In this case we are unable to say how the Mother really was, or how she perceived herself, but from her observations, our friend gave it as her opinion that the Lady seemed to be so totally immersed in her occupation and seemed to resent having to take time out of her schedule for her daughter and to make matters worse she couldn’t even take time to ascertain and provide the child with the materials necessary for the class.

    In the second example of the sportsman, many of those of us that were acquainted with the gentleman over the years perceived him as a person totally immersed in his pursuits of the outdoor life, placing those activities over everything else, his wife and family even his business. Although his business suffered from his lack of attention, his employees actually found themselves in the position of running his business and preferred he stay away except of course on payday, the employees being more proficient and interested in running the company than he. This man actually perceived him self as a good husband, Father, and businessman, while others saw his as something totally opposite. Perhaps had he been more involved with his children, their lives might have been different.

   The first man who was there for his kids and wife, no matter what, now basks in the glory of his success as a Father and Grandfather, and all who know him always remark about how good a man he is. From my conversations with this man, I know that he perceives himself as just an average sort of guy, but in this age is he average or to be respected for his simple but wonderful accomplishments.

   Those of us who have lived half or more of our allotted four score and ten a years, have no doubt witnessed examples similar to those I have wrote about here. We now know that parenthood is a learned trait, not a natural instinct as with the lower creatures that God placed us in dominion over. We have watched people successfully raise their children that are now in turn raising happy families of their own, as we have been witness to families that were torn apart and passed that precedence on to their offspring who are now teaching the same examples taught to them to another generation that in a few short years will no doubt repeat the same mistakes.

   There have been countless reports in the media and essays that indicate that children need more than parents who use the fifteen minute manager approach to parenthood, more than superman or wonder woman that only appear when duty calls. Parents that are truly involved, just because a kid is old enough to take care of most functions on his or her own doesn’t relieve the parent of the duty of involvement.

   Never having been blessed with children, I personally feel unqualified to advise others in the proper methods of raising kids. However volumes of studies have been published that indicate in most cases, Mothers and Fathers that have taken the time to make their children their primary objective, the focal point of their lives, most usually will have kids that are better adjusted and usually more successful in life.

   If you are a young parent, be careful of how you act in front of your children, as they will repeat everything they see you do. Wouldn’t you rather create for yourself a living memorial of a family line that is free of domestic strife? Take stock in your children; know what they are doing, where they are at, who their friends are, and what they are watching on television. Start with teaching the Golden Rule to your babies, and then practice what you preach, especially in front of them. Make your spouse and your kids feel special and they will return the favor. Try to live a life wherein the manner that others see you, and you perceive yourself, is in reality the way that you really are. Use the precepts of Faith, Works, and Knowledge as a foundation for your family as well as the keys to obtaining salvation in Christ our Lord.