cubby-holes at the gates of Heaven

Our preschoolers (we can no longer call them "The Toddlers," now that they are 4) have recently been learning their Bible trivia...finally.  That's the way it goes, isn't it?  The firstborn kid knows the name of all twelve tribes of Israel (and where each tribe was camped around the tabernacle) by the time he is 3, while the third and fourth kids don't know the difference between the Garden of Eden and the Olive Garden.

I finally decided to buckle down and teach them a thing or two.

Our most recent lesson?  Storing up treasures in Heaven.  Now, this concept really got their attention.  Prizes? Waiting for us in Heaven?  Ooh, la, la.

Prizes around here come in the form of care packages, sent by doting grandparents and devoted friends from back home.  When Daddy comes through the door at the end of the day to kick off his filthy shoes (because shoes get filthy here), if he happens to be carrying a cardboard box fresh from the delivery man, all the kids come running, screaming, "Packaaaaaaaaaaaaaage!"

We love our care packages, even if they often come to us looking like this.

Which brings me to this morning.  Today and tomorrow, Daddy has these two stinkers in Hong Kong for Zion's eye appointment.

Which leaves me at home with these two stinkers.

Daniel and the big boys left for Hong Kong this morning before dawn, and so the preschoolers and I breakfasted just the three of us, chit-chatting over our bowls of oatmeal.  Jubilee brought up the topic of treasures in Heaven.  She worded it the best way she knew how.

"What's gonna be in that care package in Heaven?"  she asked me.

"I don't know, Sweetheart," I said, smiling.  "We'll have to wait and see."

Brave put down his oatmeal spoon and looked across the table quizzically.

"Will we have to take our shoes off when we get there?"  he asked.

I smiled again.  Sweet 4-year-olds.  Sweet Asia-dwelling 4-year-olds, and their cute ideas of treasures and proper etiquette.

"Maybe we will, Honey," I responded, trying to take his question seriously.  "Maybe there will be rows and rows of cubby-holes for all our shoes, so we won't tramp mud on the streets of gold."

Two of my earthly treasures.