“Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.”

(Matthew 6:20 NLT)

“You never imagined what an eternal investment you made when you bought that Chevy Tracker, did you,” my son-in-law asked. And he was right.

Rewind a little more than a couple of decades. My brother, daughter, and I regularly backpacked in the mountains. Some of the roads to the trailheads were rough, so I needed something more durable than the car I currently owned.

So, I went to the local Chevrolet dealership in search of something that would meet my needs. I could only afford the smallest SUV they made: a Chevy Tracker. Proud of my purchase, I drove it off the lot and enjoyed taking it on hiking trips for a year.

Then it happened. The details aren’t necessary. Suffice it to say that life happened. I could no longer afford two vehicle payments. Instead of selling one of them, I decided to withdraw all my retirement and pay off the Tracker. I then gave it to my daughter, who was soon leaving for college. She would need a vehicle anyway.

Fast-forward almost a decade. My daughter had graduated and joined the military but withdrew early. She would soon become a single mom—and not long after, a single mom again. She needed more room than the Tracker offered. She purchased a larger SUV but kept the Tracker since it was paid for.

Some years later, my wife and I needed an extra vehicle, so the Tracker came to our house for a while. Then, another family member needed a vehicle temporarily while theirs was being repaired, so the Tracker tracked to their house. From family member to family member, the Tracker served whoever needed it.

Fast-forward another half-dozen years, and my daughter was married with four boys. The SUV she had bought some years earlier died. Once again, the Tracker came home for my son-in-law to drive. One day, while at the house to pick up something, he made the statement. He was right. I never knew the investment I would make when I purchased that Tracker.

But how was the investment eternal? After all, Jesus said that’s the kind we should make. Obviously, we can’t send tangible things ahead to heaven. We send them through acts of love. The kind I showed when I sacrificed my retirement for my daughter’s sake. The type reverberated through various family members needing the Tracker’s help. We put treasures in heaven by loving and serving God, our family, and others. 

We often never see the fruits of our efforts, as I did with the Tracker, but the important thing is that we store the treasures. Don’t hoard stuff on earth. Enjoy what God gives you but send your real treasures to heaven.

Prayer: Father, give me wisdom to send my treasures ahead to heaven.

Martin Wiles