There was a long line at the local convenience store the other day. Apparently the multi-state lottery prize had grown into the hundreds of millions again and people where lining up to buy tickets. As I waited to pay for my gas I wondered if I should fish the two extra dollars out of my wallet to buy a ticket myself. I thought for a second about all the things I could buy with that much money. Then I stopped and thought about the true treasures in my life, the treasures that brought me happiness, the treasures that warmed my heart, the treasures that uplifted my soul.

There was the time I spent with my two handicapped sons, caring for them, hugging them, laughing with them, and loving them. There was the long talks with my daughter and gentle kisses on her head I gave her before she headed home in the evenings. There was the unconditional love I saw in my dog’s eyes every time she looked at me. There was watching the sun come up in the morning and the stars sparkle at night. There was standing on my back porch sipping an iced tea while watching the fireflies on a Summer evening. There was listening to my old, vinyl records on my ancient record player and singing along with them. There was sitting by my reading lamp on a dark, Winter’s night reading a musty, old, paperback book. There was helping a friend, a neighbor, or a stranger in need. There was smelling flowers, walking in the woods, and taking deep breaths of the crisp, morning air in the mountains. There was eating a home cooked meal with my family using the old, Italian recipes passed down from my Dad and Nana. There was talking to God and feeling the joy in my heart and the smile on my face when I remembered just how much He loved me. There was sharing smiles, writing stories, and doing random acts of kindness. There was hundreds of other things as well, far too many to ever write down here.

There was one thing about all of these treasures too. They cost me little if any money. Most of them, in fact, were free gifts from Heaven. Still, each and every one of them was priceless. I kept the extra two dollars in my wallet then. I didn’t need the false hope a lottery ticket would temporarily bring. I didn’t need the things its money would buy if I won. I was already rich in the eyes of Heaven. My days were full of the true treasures of this world. Love was mine to choose. Joy was mine to share. Life was mine to live.

May all of your days be full of the true treasures of this world. May you enjoy them all and use them all to walk with God through this life and into the next.