Last summer we went on a trip to southern Missouri with a couple of our friends. Our daughter is in the midst of “Little House on the Prairie” so we are attempting to visit as many of the museums as we can. While on this trip, we visited a quaint shopping area with a seed shop, antiques, boutiques and a vegan restaurant. While wandering through the various stores, we stopped at a little place that sold prairie dresses, bonnets, and delicious cinnamon rolls, along with various aged objects. 

 

My husband saw it first: a large wicker picnic basket with a leather strap, complete with dishes and silverware in near perfect condition. He picked it up and we looked it over, dreaming of the many picnics we could enjoy as a family with this unbelievable treasure. Reality soon hit when I realized this find must be worth far more than we could afford. 

 

Nervously I asked, “How much is it?”

 

As if God had placed that basket in the shop right then and there just for us, my husband checked the tag, looked up at me and smiled.

 

“$25.” 

 

We decided it was a worthy investment and an incredible find so we got it. As the snow is melting and spring is finding its way to our part of the world, we have pulled this wicker picnic basket out of storage and are preparing it for the many shared meals to come. 

 

The investment wasn’t just in the physical basket, as lovely as it is. 

 

The true investment was the time we knew we’d spend together as a family, the places we would travel and the adventures we’d share. Knowing that this basket symbolized the time we would invest in each other was well worth $25. 

 

What can you use as your family’s symbol of investing in each other? 

 

Maybe it’s a worn quilt that you sit on every Fourth of July. 

 

Perhaps it's a family photo album that conjures up the same old stories, told like family folklore. 

 

A family recipe that’s made every holiday, reminding each generation of His faithfulness. 

 

When we intentionally invest in each other, we are choosing to slow down, remain present and build His kingdom on earth. 

 

One picnic basket at a time.