The Present As My Treasure

“For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” // Matthew 6:21

I huffed as I tossed my phone on the couch—how long had I been scrolling again? I checked my watch and realized that it wasn’t the quick thirty seconds I thought I’d need; it was far more. Disappointed in myself, I checked in on our daughter: “Can I have a bowl of grapes, Mommy?” 

“Absolutely!” I responded. And without thinking, as I began to walk back into the kitchen, I reached for my phone, unlocked it, and began to scroll once more. I stopped mid-kitchen and was stuck, mid-step, on my way to provide for our kiddo’s spoken needs. Grapes were my mission at that moment, yet the treasure of a quick dopamine hit via a scrolling screen led me away yet again.

Who knows, this time, how much time had passed—me standing still in the middle of my God-given mission. “Mommy, are you getting my grapes or are you on your phone again?” And just like that, I snapped back into reality. My heart sank as I realized that yet again distraction had led me far from the here and now—the place I desired to be with my daughter. As I looked up and looked into her eyes, I could see her disappointment too.

There are few prayers I’ve prayed harder than this, and her question served as a moment of grace, an opportunity to ask for her forgiveness and His too. God, teach me to be detached from my devices. Teach me to rightly order their use. Teach me to lean into the monotony of motherhood and give me the desire to be all here—where my feet are.

Today’s Gospel reminds us that where our treasure is our heart remains there too (see Matthew 6:19-23). What worldly and materialistic treasures have you stored up that keep you distracted from your God-given mission? How may God be inviting you to place these treasures in the right order today?