New Life Presbyterian Church of Dresher

What are Your Treasures?

I grew up in your typical suburban, middle class family striving to attain the "American Dream." My parents worked hard and they played hard. They taught us five kids (by example) that life's treasures were to have fun, enjoy life, and acquire material wealth. Most of my time was spent clamoring for and striving after these things along with good health and a life of comfort, ease, and pleasure. When you have all of these things life doesn't get any better, does it?

My philosophy or motto for life was taken from an old popular beer commercial in the 70's. Remember this one? "Grab for all the Gusto!" Well, grab I did! When I was 22 years old I began dating a very wealthy married man. After he left his wife and two children, he moved in with me. We eventually bought a yacht and moved to Florida to an exclusive yacht and racquet club. We lived the jet-setters' dream of a lifetime! Cruises to small tropical islands, hours and hours of playing tennis, numerous wonderful spa experiences, shopping on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, and many sumptuous gourmet meals were just a few of the ways in which we enjoyed life.

The message of our culture is that "You can do anything and have anything you want as long as you have a hard-driving, can-do spirit, exert some effort, and think positively!" This is what I believed, but at one time or another and in one way or another we are all forced to wake up to reality. And reality is that in uncountable ways...life hurts. Life is difficult. Life has limits. Every one of us in this world has experienced this truth to one degree or another. We've all scraped our noses on the brick wall of this reality. We can all say that not every dream comes true There are disappointments. None of us are immune to suffering whether it's on a major or minor level.

This reality became quite apparent to me when I got pregnant in the midst of this jet-setting lifestyle I was living. The man I was dating did not want to take responsibility for me and our child. He encouraged me to get an abortion. I did. Afterwards everything in my life caved in and unraveled. The guilt I suffered was unbearable. The "good life" just didn't matter anymore. The emptying of my womb created an even deeper emptiness in my heart. Our relationship became filled with anger and rage, distrust, conflict, and disrespect to a large degree. We eventually broke up and I came back home to Pennsylvania to try to piece my life back together again. I wanted to start over and yet the nagging sense of guilt plagued me intensely. I couldn't escape it. I became very depressed.

I felt aimless, confused, broken-hearted, and betrayed. Where could I go? Who could I turn to? What could I do to get rid of this horrible guilt? No amount of can-do-spirit, hard work, and positive thinking could erase it! No amount of pleasure or monetary gain could help me now! All I held near and dear to me meant absolutely nothing in the face of the reality of what I had done! I knew the truth that murder was a serious offense. Not only against the one who's life I've taken, but also against God who created that life!

I read in the Bible: "And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting...From each man I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man... As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it." (Gen. 9:5-7) After reading this I realized that I was going to be held responsible and that I was going to have to pay the price of burning in the fires of hell for eternity. I started to become intensely fearful and paranoid and started to envision ways in which God would kill me. When would it happen? Who would do it? What kind of weapon would they use? Would they come from behind, or would they do it face to face?

I felt trapped. I needed an escape. I couldn't bear the thoughts of living the rest of my life with this kind of intense fear. The only escape I could think of was to commit suicide. Yes, I'll kill myself to get rid of this intense fear, but wait a minute!! If I kill myself that means I will be put into the presence of the Almighty, Righteous Judge and have to be held accountable sooner than later! I was between a rock and a hard place to be sure, with no way out! Fearful, frantic, and desperate I cried out in my agony to my sister, who was next door in her room reading the Bible. Through sobs and tears, I began relating all I was reading and thinking. She listened quietly until I was finished and then read out of the New Testament these words of LIFE: "For God so loves the world that He gave His one and only SON, that whoever believes in HIM will not perish but will have eternal life. For God did not send his SON into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through HIM." (John 3:16-17)

After we talked a bit she eventually left my room and I fell to my knees and prayed sincerely for the first time in my life. I asked God to forgive me for my sin of abortion and my sin of living my life according to my own will and desires and not his. I asked him to come into my life and to help me be the kind of person he wants me to be. I surrendered my heart and my life to God that night and received Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

That night I made a choice. With God's help I made a choice to stop clamoring for and striving after the so-called inferior treasures of this world. With God's help I chose the ONE PRICELESS TREASURE which far eclipses anything this world has to offer!

"God has given us eternal life and this life is in his Son.
He who has the Son has life. He who does not have
the Son of God does not have life."
John 5:11-12