Filling a Hope Chest

      

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: Isaiah 28:10

Let’s see what’s in here; a potholder I made when I was 8; a pillowcase I made when I was 12; a crochet doily from Grandma. When I finish this piece I’ll add it to the others.

I may go buy that set of dishes.

That’s pretty much the way it goes for a young girl preparing years in advance for her wedding and future home. Add a little here and a little there with no one special in mind, just a hope that one day she will marry and start a home. But, how are we preparing spiritually for our homes? As wives and mothers it is our job to nurture the children God will give us. II Timothy tells us Timothy’s mother and grandmother provided him with a spiritual upbringing as will as a physical home. Are we preparing spiritually for our future family? Our children are the only real hope for the future. They are the only thing we can take with us into eternity. But how do we prepare?

Line upon line and precept upon precept. We fill our lives with the things of God so that we may bring those things our of our hearts and give them to our children. Are we making time to read God’s Word every day? Do we have a prayer time? Do we have a Christian friend to help me grow and hold me accountable? Are we memorizing scripture? Are we attending a church that will help me grow? If we already have children are we doing those things with and for them?

Encourage one another. Won’t you share your ideas for your spiritual Hope Chest?

Treasures in a Hope Chest

For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21

I love finding a bargain. I was shopping for slacks and ran up on tea towels, CHEAP, for my girls to embroidery. That’s not a skill they know, so this was the perfect item for our next meeting. The towels were the cutest little cupcake design with a few simple stitches and one a little more complicated, a French knot. This would be a life skill and a treasure they could keep for years to come. The towels would be a perfect item for their Hope Chests, if they know what a Hope Chest is! Ha! 

Learning to embroidery takes a little patience and a little practice. You stick your tongue out and concentrate and stick your finger. You make mistakes and have to go back and fix them. But in the end you have a pretty good piece if you took a little pride in your work. Being a Christian is a lot like that. It takes time to study and pray and learn from others. We make mistakes and have to ask forgiveness. But in due time we begin to see fruit from our labor. We begin to see people saved and living their lives for God.

In Matthew, Jesus tells us not to worry about storing up treasures on earth that won’t last and that thieves steal. Jesus wants us to lay up treasures in heaven that will last eternally. Treasure no one can take away. It is so good to know our family and friends will be with us in heaven forever because we took a little time and patience to show them Jesus through our lives as well as the things we said. Embroidery makes a little picture that will last a little while. Our lives make pictures that last forever. Laying up treasure in heaven through our witness is like a little Hope Chest of souls that we will one day get to open and enjoy with Jesus.