Velour warm-up or true Treasure?

          I woke up this morning thinking of the Christmas years ago when one of our girls wanted one thing for Christmas: a Juicy Couture top.  I don't even know if I spelled that correctly--I had never heard of it before, never thought of it since, and certainly never typed or written it even once.  But Juicy whatever-it-was-called was the thing at the time.  Every girl, apparently, owned not one, but several, Juicy whatever outfits.  Now our daughter had never been a particularly fashion-conscious or label-desiring child, but this time she really really wanted and needed this one thing for Christmas.
     So I called around and, low and behold Belks had a few in stock.  I hiked on over there and went to the Juicy Couture section--yes, they had an actual little nook of all things Juicy.  I asked the lady about the particular item, and she knew exactly what I was talking about and took me right over to a row of...warm-up suits.  And not just any warm-up suits--velour warm-up suits. 
     Are you kidding?  My dear Mama (who by this time had been in heaven for several years) used to live in these things.  She loved her velour warm-up suits and had them in an array of bright colors.  Only hers tended to the more, shall we say, relaxed and loose fit, side of things.  These Juicy deals were closer to the tight-as-a-tick fit.  But there was no doubt about it, these were genuine velour warm-up suits.  O, if only Mama could have lived to see the day--she was so ahead of her time in every way, even the fashion department.  She ran all over town in her big old station wagon with our dog, Ben, in the back and wearing her ever-so-comfortable warm-up suits.
     But here's the big difference: i think Mama probably bought hers at Big Lots for about $10.99.  I looked at the price tag of these Juicy babies, and O MY STARS, are you kidding me?  They actually sell velour, mind you, warm-up suits for these astronomical prices?
     I was stunned, but tried to look nonchalant.  Smiling sweetly at the salesperson, I told her that actually we would just be buying the top to the warm-up suit and not also the bottoms.  After all, that hot pink velour would look fantastic with every pair of pants my daughter owned, so we really didn't need the bottoms too.  Shoot, for this price, we might even save it and have her wear it with her wedding dress!  The saleslady did not share my laughter, so we moved on... I meekly purchased the top half of a velour warm-up suit while wondering if we had saved any of Mama's old warm-up suits.
     How often do we do that?  We confuse the price tags and place great value on that which ultimately means little to nothing while giving little time, attention, and love to that which is of infinite value?  Forgive us, forgive me, Father.  How many times have I rushed busily about my day and failed to slow down to spend time with and worship the One who made me and loves me and waits patiently for me? How often have I put the people in my life on the back burner to the priorities of my to-do list for the day?
     Dress it up, put a fancy label on it, pay a giant price for it...it's still a lowly velour warm-up suit...and God has so infinitely much more in mind for us.
     I just read this morning: "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.  And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil.1:3-6)
      O thank You Father for the priceless gift of prayer. Thank You that You are not finished with us yet and will one day complete and perfect that which You began in each of us.  Thank You for the infinite treasure of the gospel.  And thank You for the privilege we have of sharing Your Good News of salvation with a hurting world. Forgive me for sometimes forgetting the infinite treasures we have in You.  It is so true--He who has God plus everything...has nothing more than he who has God plus nothing else. And he who has absolutely everything...but not God...has nothing.  
     And Father, thank You for safely bringing back our church's team from Kenya.  Thank You for the work they did for You while they were over there--work which will last for eternity.  Priceless work. Not a velour warm-up suit in sight.
    Here they are at the airport--O what a joyous homecoming we had the other day welcoming them back!  Thank You, Father!

     We continue to pray for Mark and Pam Helms--for Mark's continued healing of his arm from the wreck over there and for safety in traveling back home to all of us.
     Thank You for choosing to use us in Your world to share Your pearl of infinite worth--the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus.  Help us never to settle for the inferior when You have, You are, the ultimate.  We don't want the world's velour warm-up suits--we want You, our true Treasure.
     To God be the glory.