The way I see it, we ought to ‘lay up our treasures in heaven..,’ in accordance with the biblical admonition and not focus on hoarding treasures on earth.
Now what triggered this thought process?
I read this strange story coming out of Trinidad this week:
“Officials of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation were forced to perform the first exhumation of a body in the region yesterday. However, the reason was an extraordinary one.
The move was initiated by the family of deceased Chanroutie Boodoo, who sought permission to exhume her body over fear that robbers had looted her grave to steal the heirloom jewellery she was buried with and her coffin, which was gold-plated.
Boodoo was buried on March 2 at the cemetery at Foster Road, Sangre Grande. She died in England on February 4.
However, since then relatives had been receiving reports that several people had been seen around the grave site in the early hours of the morning and on more than one occasion. As such, they feared her grave may have been dug up, her coffin tampered with and the items, worth thousands of dollars, stolen.
Armed with a license for an exhumation, under the Burial Grounds Act. Chapter 30:50, Section 12, Boodoo’s husband Cornelus O’Donell, of England, sister Dassie Martin and niece Belinda Martin turned up at the cemetery yesterday on a fact-finding mission to ease their concerns.
They were accompanied by Insp Sawak Baran, PCs Bosland, Ali, Thomas and Deles, of Sangre Grande Municipal Police, Chief Medical Officer Health Rodell Mohammed, Public Health Officer Nesha Manick, County Superintendent Satnarine Singh, SGRC CEO Dianna Lakhan and later on SGRC chairman Terry Rondon.
Cemetery keeper Jameel Joseph joined in to witness as gravediggers Wendell Samaroo, Junior Garcia began the exhumation process, as he ( Joseph) was keen to find out if such an act had been carried out on the property under his watch.
Samaroo and Garcia started the digging around and finally finished the process hours later.
However, the grave diggers encountered water at the bottom and a sewage truck was called in to siphon out the muddy contents.
But when Boodoo’s coffin was taken out and its contents examined, everything was found to be intact. Relatives verified everything before the coffin was returned to its resting place and the grave filled back up with earth. Afterwards, SGRC CEO Lakhan confirmed all the necessary documents were submitted and the cost paid by the family to conduct the exhumation, adding the license was granted by Rural Development and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein.
She added that an exhumation was very unusual and interesting but was happy they were able to do everything to the satisfaction of Boodoo’s relatives and nothing was missing.
Rondon also told the T&T Guardian it was the first time he had heard of and witnessed an exhumation in the region.”
Now did you get that? The good lady was buried in a gold plated coffin loaded with her heirloom jewelry.
Well I newa!
Now even if the good lady stated that this is what she wanted when she died, did the family members have to honour her wishes?
They never heard about the husband who told his wife to place his millions of dollars in his coffin when he died? When they were about to close the coffin she placed a large envelope into the coffin.
One of her friends asked her why she had honoured his weird request. She said ‘no problem—I wrote him a cheque!’
Back to our story in Trinidad. Isn’t the family aware now that now that the story is all over the news, that the robbers and bandits will be staking out that grave site now?
So, it is obvious that some folks live to gain and hoard money during their lifetime and they are so not in the habit of helping others that they intend to take it to their graves with them.
I am convinced that God did not register me as one to ever have a lot of money but I can sure attest to the fact that HE SUPPLIES ALL OF MY NEEDS. I emphasize NEEDS mind you—cause there are some WANTS that I am still talking to him about but he knows best…..
Remember in a previous article I told you that I asked God for a couple of million dollars that would have helped me out of my debts and I was also going to help as many other persons as possible?
Well it is either that he has already said NO or he intends for me to wait a little longer.
I mean money is important but there are more important things in life and note well that money does not guarantee happiness.
Have you ever wondered why some of these big time stars and other millionaires, never appear happy? Their money does not make them happy and they do not know the real joys of helping others in need.
Maybe one of the reasons why I do not have much is because I have generally fallen for the sad stories. So when someone comes with a sad story and I can afford to help, I do.
The problem comes about when they ask me to LEND them an amount and even indicate a time when they will pay it back…and the time never comes.
Sometimes it reaches a stage when they start avoiding you and stop speaking to you.
I remember that I loaned a guy $500.00 one time, as he was getting married and said he was having some financial difficulties.
Well he and his wife went on to live ‘happily ever after’ and the money was never repaid.
The worst thing that happened is that when he celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary, he had a big ‘SPLASH’ and the man did not even invite me.
Well I newa!
So you see dear reader, if we place our focus on gaining riches here on earth, we will only stress ourselves and may end up selling our very souls to the Devil.
Let us therefore focus on the things of God; be content with what he provides for us and help others along the way.
That my friends, by God’s grace, will ensure ‘riches in glory.’
You will not seek to be buried in a gold plated coffin, when in Heaven you will be walking on streets of gold!
That’s the way I see it. How do you see it?