You Can't Take it With You

This post is another from Kathi Macias,who does a weekly devotion for CAN
(Christian Authors Network) of which I'm a member. My dad's passing is still very fresh in my mind and perhaps that's why I wanted to share this with you.
Kathi always finds a concise and focused way to say the things we know to be true but don't think about often. Enjoy.
--Linore

YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (Not Kathi's title, by the way. But I thought it fit.)

Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give
you:

In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6).

I spent the last few days going through what remained of my
mom's clothes and personal belongings, sorting and searching and bagging up
the vast majority of it to donate to the Salvation Army. (To be honest,
there wasn't much left, as she'd already given away most of it while she was
still here with us.) I set everything out on the front porch, called for a
pick-up, and as of yesterday morning, it was gone.

Strange feeling, isn't it? We know we're only here for a short
time and that eternal life lies beyond, far better than anything we can
experience in this temporal setting. But the old saying, "You can't take it
with you," takes on a new depth of reality when we look upon the material
goods a loved one has left behind after "graduating to heaven."

Knowing that nothing we amass here on earth-whether billions of
dollars or just enough to eke out a meager existence-will accompany us on
that final journey through the valley of the shadow of death should give us
pause, as we consider those things that have eternal value. Peter nailed it
when he said to the crippled man, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I
do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and
walk."

It is those things we do in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
that will follow us to heaven. The times we told others about the Father's
great love, so great that He would send His only Son to die for us; the
times we cried and prayed for lost loved ones and even nations lost in
darkness; the gifts we gave out of our own needs rather than our abundance.
The One whose name we do it in-Jesus Christ of Nazareth-sees it all, though
at times it may seem that no one sees or cares.

Silver and gold will be left behind when we breathe our last,
but our legacy of all we did in the name of Jesus will continue throughout
eternity. And it is the one thing that will remain when our deeds are judged
and we receive the crown of heaven-which we will promptly and joyously lay
at the Savior's feet.

May we daily give whatever we can in the matchless name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth!

copyright 2011 Kathi Macias