Things You Pick Up On The Side Of The Road

When our children were young, elementary school age, we planned a summer trip to Florida, to Disney World and the beaches. The Children were excited about the trip but they had no real concept of the cost. I told them if they wanted extra spending money we would all go out and pick up aluminum cans on the side of the road. I know this sounds like one of those parent ideas, but the 3 J’s were all in, so to speak.

We had a great road side to work, US Highway 70 between Crowell and Vernon, Texas. Foard County was a dry county, so no beer or liquor was sold there, but as is the case with such things in Texas there is always a store on the county line. While this does not lend itself to safe driving it is a treasure trove for a family gathering aluminum cans. We worked hard filling the bed of my dad's old Ford pickup truck. The job does not end with gathering the cans; you also have to crush them. We all worked hard for several weeks and loaded up our treasure to carry them to be recycled. You know they pay you cash money for such things. The children are all excited to know how much they made after all their hard work. I was not going to disappoint them, what father would. I never told them, though they may have figured it out, that I added money from my own pocket to make sure that they all had enough money to spend on the trip. It was important that they have their own money to spend on what they wanted. But it was also important to learn about work and the value of money. We picked up more than cans along the road; we worked as a family all together.

The trip was great over all but our youngest was disappointed with the Ocean. He had been so excited but the reality of it was something different. Playing in the surf is fun unless you are less than 3 feet tall and the waves are about 5 feet. The waves would hit him and knock him down, one right after another. I can still hear him say, "Stupid Ocean!" But they all enjoyed Disney World as all children do and even some of us who are older children. The other two did not have the same experience but we all got sunburned and had sand in everything. Even in this we picked up some things along the road.

Along life’s journey we encounter many people, we engage in useful work and we expect the eventual end of the road. We pick up little gems from all the people we encounter, rare jewels of diamond, emeralds, rubies and pearls. The true treasures of life. We gather treasures and riches from the in which we are engaged, and a merciful and gracious God makes up what is lacking out of His own pocket. We look expectantly, with hope in our hearts and the promise of a loving God of a home a city "whose builder and maker is God,” the road is long. The journey difficult. The path sometimes unclear. The things you pick up along the road are priceless and should be treasured beyond gold.

Bob Phillips