What if you had a hat worth the price of three houses? Would you sell it? Anthony Twiggs sold a flight cap owned by pilot Amelia Earhart for $825,000!

Mr. Twiggs is 67 years old. He is from Minnesota. His mother, Ellie Twiggs, watched the end of the Women’s National Air Derby in 1929 when she was a girl. The event was the first official all-female pilot race. The pilots traveled from Santa Monica, California, to Cleveland, Ohio. That’s over 2,000 miles! It took the pilots nine days to finish the race. They made stops along the way to rest, refuel, and make plane repairs.

Amelia Earhart was wearing the snug, leather flight cap when she came in third place. Thousands of fans surrounded her when she got out of her plane. The cap was lost in the crowd.

A boy who liked young Ellie found a flight cap on the ground. He said it was the one the pilot lost. He gave Ellie the cap! She kept the treasure for years. It went to her son when she died. 

Mr. Twiggs had to work hard to prove the flight cap belonged to the famous Amelia Earhart. He used photo matching technology. Mrs. Earhart also wore such a cap in 1928. She was the first woman on board a plane to cross the Atlantic at that time. Photos from that event and the 1929 Air Derby match even the wrinkles in the cap that was just sold.

What do you think Mr. Twiggs will do with the $825,000? How would you use that much money?

Why? What is your treasure? Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like “treasure hidden in a field.” A man sells all he has to buy that field! (Matthew 13:44)

Pray to treasure what matters most. God and people are the greatest gifts we have!