I remember being fascinated with all of the containers and boxes of small nails, toe and heel taps, glue, heels, replacement shoe soles, brushes, polish, and of course the powerful grinders and polishers. One of the most fascinating pieces of equipment was the large sewing machine that so amazingly hooked those two pieces of waxed string together repairing thousands of shoes and other leather articles. I remember the smell of the new leather, the smell of rubber cement, and smell of shoe polish as I relive those times. I still have the pair of sandals my grandfather hand made for me as a toddler. My brother Lynn, who owns a leather shop in Florida, now has the old sewing machine.

In the front of my grandparents store were shelves full of men's and women's shoes and boots. To one side they had an old roll top desk and a big safe. The desk was always stacked with all sorts of things, and I loved to look through all of the papers, drawers and various items that ended up on and in that old desk.

On the counter, they had an old manual (not electric) cash register, and at special times, I would be allowed to push some of the big keys and watch the numbers pop up on top.

Those times are long past and the shoe shop has been closed for many years. My grandparents have departed this earth, yet the memories remain of those special things and special times.

What do I really treasure?

One thing especially stands out in these memories. Many people often paid my grandparents with silver dollars. You don't see that any more, it's too inconvenient to carry those big pieces of metal now. Of course you didn't need to carry near as many of them in those days. Silver dollars are a special memory to me for another reason: they were grandma and grandpa's savings. They put aside the silver dollars that came into the shop to purchase special things. They also used these silver dollars to give to their grandchildren on their birthdays. I still have a couple of those old silver dollars they gave me. No, they are not collector's pieces, they are not worth a whole lot more than a dollar to anyone else, but to me they hold memories and are priceless.

I can't help remembering once again Jesus' words about realizing what is really important in life. Jesus said:

Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be (Matthew 6:19-21 NLT).

Next Door Savior by Max Lucado Master storyteller Lucado presents the stunning contrasts of Jesus--his irresistible humanity and undeniable deity.

Russ Lawson is a former missionary to Africa and minister in Ohio. He now works with World Christian Literature Outreach and writes a weekly email devotional, Messages from the Heart. For more information about Russ, click here.

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