Hidden Treasures
"I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name." Isaiah 45:3 (NIV)
We are just back from eight wonderful days at the beach with all of our children and grandchildren. Bruce's mom Mimi joined us for part of the week, as did Bruce's Aunt Jean. Somehow we managed to sync multiple work schedules, reservations, and school calendars so that we were all able to be together in one place for a few days. At times it was organized chaos as four generations, ages 3-90, joined hearts and hands to say grace at meals. Bruce and I were worried beforehand about how James Bruce would handle all of the activity and changes in routine, but he had a great week. My Mama did well back in Birmingham as other family members manned the fort and became the primary contact for her ongoing care. We had no seizures, sunburn, or accidents. And there were times that Bruce and I would look at each other and say, "We are so blessed."
For me personally, the whole week was a gift of God's grace and a dream come true. For years, I longed to share vacation memories with future grandchildren. Now that dream has been realized. There were many memorable moments, but my favorite one came unexpectedly on our last full day at the beach. It had rained all morning and looked like the rain would last all day. After lunch, however, the weather cleared enough for us to get out on the beach. The skies were still overcast, but the rain had cooled the temperatures and there was a great gulf breeze coming off the ocean. The ocean current was too strong to allow the girls to play in the water, but five-year-old Julia and her Uncle Daniel spent the afternoon building sand castles and playing beach games. Three-year-old Caroline was more interested in hunting seashells than building forts. And so when Caroline asked, "Mia, will you hunt sea shells with me?" I quickly answered, "Yes!"
Our seashell hunt lasted about 90 minutes, a lot of time for a three year old. Initially I looked for larger or unusual seashells. Caroline, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as interested in the size, color, or condition of a shell. She just found delight in finding one. As our seashell adventure unfolded, I was amazed over and over again at the contrast between our perspectives. My goal was to find as many sea shells as possible, as quickly as possible, and complete the task of filling Caroline's large bucket. Caroline, however, found joy and delight in each and every new discovery. Over and over again she would say, "Ohhhhhhh Mia, look! I found one!!"
We found most of the big, perfect, pretty shells quickly, mainly because there weren't that many on the surface. Having found the few that we did put in our bucket, I was ready to move along down the beach. Caroline wasn't. Instead, she sat down in the sand, ran her small hands through it, and frequently exclaimed, "Mia! Look at this" or "Mia, here's another one!" Again and again, Caroline found more shells in the same area. Some of them were tiny and some were shiny. Some were broken or busted, but each shell in Caroline's eyes was a treasure just waiting to be found. Her eyes sparkled with each new find.
All of a sudden it hit me. My "joy" was in completion of the task, i.e., filling Caroline's bucket with shells, getting the job finished, and spending time with Caroline. Caroline's joy was the joy of discovery. She wasn't just interested in filling her bucket; Caroline delighted in finding the treasure. And in her finding, Caroline experienced delight and wonder.
Our seashell adventure was a teachable moment for me. Caroline refused to be hurried along, choosing instead to dig deeper in the same spot. Surprisingly, the more Caroline patiently dug, the more shells she found. And once I knelt down to her eye level, I too began to see shells that I had missed from five feet above. And not just one or two shells, but dozens of shells waiting to be found in places that I thought were barren.
What's true for my seashell adventure is also true for our study of God's Word. There are hidden treasures of God's truth just waiting to be discovered. Too many times, however, I hurriedly read a passage wanting to push along, finish the book, or check the box on my "to do" list. I need instead to be more like Caroline, refusing to be rushed, and willing to return to the same place for more digging and hidden treasures. Pastor Lynn Downing uses the term "ice slicking" to describe our tendency to skim over familiar passages like John 3:16 or Psalm 23. Those passages often yield new insights as we diligently study, patiently persevere, and refuse to be hurried along. Each new discovery brings joy and wonder. The prophet Jeremiah understood the joy of discovery when he wrote, "When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight." (Jeremiah 15:16) The Apostle Paul also understood the joy of discovery when he penned these words to the Colossians, "In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:3)
Wherever we are today, there are hidden treasures of God's truth waiting to be found. And there is joy, delight, and wonder in the discovery.
Our joy for God's glory!