When I was in the Navy and stationed about two blocks from the well-known Piazza Garibaldi, I was told why he was so famously remembered. He was a Sicilian who fought for the unification of Italy.

According to the story, he was responsible for the raising of an army with very little funds to spend. He would go from town to town, enlisting men to fight. In one city, he came around the corner and saw a bunch of young boys and asked, "Would you join the fight for our country?"

"What will we get if we do?"

His answer, "I promise you forced marches, hardship, hunger, sleepless nights and a free Italy!"

What if one of our policemen stood before us and said, "Would you join the force? Crime in our little city is getting out of hand. If it can be stolen, it's as good as gone. Everything from false teeth, goldfish, shoes, garbage cans and you name it, goes missing. Last week, one family left town for a weekend and came back to find that someone had stolen their newly-sodden lawn, bushes and porch swing. We need more officers!"

Two thousand years ago, our Lord Jesus sat and talked to crowds of eager listeners. He — most likely — would not have classified as a great orator who spoke with philosophical language to impress His listeners. He spoke in the language of the man on the street, the fisherman, the townspeople about life. They listened because His stories were their stories. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves dig in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume and where thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will be your hearts."

They were like us, too. They liked new garments, some prized possessions. They worked hard for what they got and tried hard to keep them. Life held little rewards and there were no retirement plans, pension funds, homes for the aged.

What Jesus spoke about wasn't something vague. He was talking about cold and hard reality.

"Put your trust in God!" Sounds simple, but it's not.

It seems that just when we see daylight, bang, something happens to pull down the shades. The car needs fixing, kids break a leg, we misadded the checking account and our underwear is so thin we could use it as a fish net.

"If we just had some extra bucks, a little nest egg or something hidden to tide us over."

"Put your trust in God!"

Our Lord is so practical. "Yes, you must trust in something. Make it longer than a lifetime. Make it forever!"

We don't have a lot of time left. We had best be cracking. Jesus Christ is telling us that we had best make our plans with Him.

Let's think a bit. How big a house will we get in heaven? What will it take to earn the right to get there? Will the benefits run out after 20 or 30,000 years?

Jesus answers us with a question, "Are you willing to trust God with your life? Are you willing to trust Me? In Me, there is no doubt, no concern, and I am always dependable, I am forever. Where ever you put your trust, that is where you will eternally be."

There it is, folks. No one forces us to choose, but the choice seems to be very obvious.

Thanks, God!