One of my very favorite pastimes is treasure hunting. Pretty much everything in my home and in the homes of people that I work with in my decorating business are things that I sought out specifically and found, recognizing their uniqueness and one-of-a-kind beauty. And when I am sitting in my house, drinking my coffee and look at those things, they bring a smile to my face. There is no other piece exactly like that one. I had found it, I brought it home, and I placed it in the exact place where I knew it belonged. And through my eyes, that old trunk with the ragged edges, that antique stove with the chipped paint, that hundred-year-old table with the grooves of wear and tear warm my heart with their priceless beauty.
He was a collector of things. An expert in seeing their worth through eyes that could see beyond the rusty nails and tattered fabric. He was a magician with all things old. His hands could transform things others would see as ugly and useless into things of great value and beauty.
Each morning, He would set out on His treasure hunt. His adventures would take Him to places where others did not go. Heaps of discarded things behind stores. Places where the leftovers or misfits or damaged pieces were left abandoned. His knowing and loving hands would pick things up that were covered with dirt and dust. He would blow away the debris and then caress the piece as if He’d found a rare and precious gem. Much to the store owner’s surprise, He would insist on paying for the damaged goods. And though the proprietor would argue that it was merely garbage and that no payment was necessary, the magician of all things old would take every last dime that he had in his pocket to purchase his new treasure.
Nearly giddy with his new find, he would take it home and begin his work with it. Sometimes rough edges needed sanding. Certain pieces needed new fabric to replace the holes left by misuse and wear. Often missing portions were replaced. But with each transformation the piece was held tenderly in his hand as he patiently worked with it. And in spite of the endless labor that he put into each piece, he never dropped a single one. His love of each unique treasure gave him a grip that would not let go. And every single time, a thing of breathtaking beauty would emerge.
His home was filled with his priceless treasures, all with their own particular place and use. He would look on them each day with a great sense of joy and satisfaction. At times he would move them, rearrange them to bring new life into them once again, changing their function a bit, so that their beauty could be used and appreciated in different ways. But always, always he would keep each piece within his sight and reach so that he could touch and use each one.
You are God’s treasure. He found you and brought you home. He is holding you tightly, yet tenderly, in His hands as He transforms you. You are unique and beautiful and precious to Him….
Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
2 Corinthians 4:7 – We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
Isaiah 64:8 – And yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.
