The treasures directly ahead!

The LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. -1 Samuel 16:7 (NRSV)

There are so many things in life that we choose to reject. We do not want to be bothered or to allow our busy lives to be interrupted. I was outside with the children last evening. It had been an unusually warm October day in Indiana yesterday. So, we were out playing as if it were summer.

We have a rubber tree on the east side of the house and the leaves are starting to turn different shades of yellow and orange. Alice, Matthew, and I noticed the veins and the beauty of these leaves. The tree is nice all year long, yet we never truly noticed it until tonight. Our strawberries are planted underneath and most of the time we are looking for the strawberries, while the tree watches from above. Tonight was different. The tree was the recipient of our affection...or should I say, "its leaves were."

It reminded me of a story written by Rebbecca Roberts. She writes:

No one wanted the monstrosity which had spent so much time outside in the weather that it was layered with years of grime and filth. My husband raised a finger. "One dollar," he yelled. "Sold!" the auctioneer said quickly, "to number 53." Once we got our 250-pound backbreaker home, I scraped and scrubbed for four hours until the snow-white porcelain of the 1948 Tappan™ gas range showed through. Underneath all that dirt, it was beautiful. Years later, my husband bought an old kitchen sink covered with filth and full of rotting oak leaves. After a short time of scrubbing, we found our jewel to be a 1928 Kitchen Queen™ without a single chip in the porcelain. No one had wanted it because of the visible grime.

Through these pieces God spoke to my heart. The Lord sees people the way my husband saw that sink and stove. We may be covered with all kinds of sin. Yet, God looks inside us where no one else can see and finds our worth. Now when I look at the many faces before me, I try to see past the outside to find the jewel within.

I learned a lesson from our rubber tree this evening. It is to find the treasure in the everyday life signs around us. We are given these gifts everyday. Many times the gift is hidden in the grime of life, but the gift is there. I need eyes to see it. So, my prayer has become, "Lord, help me to avoid being so busy working and striving to achieve the treasure, that I neglect to see the true treasures directly in front of me. Amen."

You are a treasure and you bring me great joy. Thanks for reading and keep looking for the treasures directly in view! You know I love ya, Don