I LOST MY TREASURE
My heart sank. I was sick to my stomach immediately and my body temperature seemed to swing from burning to ice cold and back to burning with each heartbeat. I had lost something that I couldn’t imagine living the rest of my life without. In no way would this feeling of panic, fear, and loss, ever be far from my thoughts. My wedding ring was lost, and with it, a part of myself was missing too.
I couldn’t just sit back and accept that my ring was gone. I told my husband and children and they immediately joined in on the “Great Ring Hunt of 2013”. My mind was in continual turmoil. It raced day and night trying to think of new places to look. My heart was broken and I cried myself to sleep. I enlisted friends to pray and assist in searching too.
NOTHING COULD TAKE ITS PLACE
I was crushed and devastated. Sure, I had a jewelry box full of other rings…but they weren’t THIS ring. THIS ring held my heart and had been part of me for over sixteen years. It represented a love and a commitment that was truly a part of who I was, not just an item I owned.
I prayed continually for God to supernaturally reveal to me the location of my ring. For days I searched. I was consumed with fear that my ring was in fact gone forever. I cried almost continually, and could think of little else than the missing ring. My actions were dictated by the search, my thoughts were overwhelmed by it, and my words could only utter my concern over my loss.
Finally, after a week of absolute torture, I brushed back the curtain in my bedroom. There, on the window sill was my treasured wedding ring. I had spent the last week trying to “continue with life” knowing I would forever keep an eye out for my missing ring–until the day I found it. The moment of recovery that I had hoped and prayed for had arrived!
I immediately called my husband and all my friends. We breathed a communal sigh of relieve and celebrated that my treasure was safely back where it belonged. My friends and family were overjoyed for me. I finally had peace.
Shortly after recovering my ring, I came across a scripture that I had read many times. I thought I understood it completely, but looking at it through the lenses of my recent loss I could see a deeper value and meaning.
I knew exactly how the woman felt! The deep sense of loss, the angst of a lengthy search, and the beautiful celebration of recovery were still fresh on my heart.
In this parable, we are the missing treasure. The woman represents God who is seeking His lost treasure–us!
God’s heart is anxious for our return to Him. When we return, there is a celebration that takes place because He has recovered the treasure that was missing.
You are of great value to God’s heart! You are His treasure that He will continue seeking and searching to recover. He will never stop because nothing and no one else can ever take your place.
In different seasons of life, it can be easy to get caught up in things that aren’t of God and become “lost”. God will continue to shed light into our dark places so that the way back to Him is revealed and available to us. It is up to us to repent and turn back to Him. When we do this–Angels rejoice at our repentance and there is a celebration in Heaven because we have returned to our rightful place with our Father.
Be encouraged that He is still seeking you. You are of great value to Him, and He earnestly wants you even more than I wanted my wedding ring! Allow God to shine His light into the dark places of your life. His light will guide you back into the safety of His care!
You are God’s great treasure!
Tammy, beautiful how God uses things in our lives to make the scriptures pop in our hearts like never before; the joy of finding something that is lost. So thankful God gives us pictures of His love for us.
Christina, Thanks for dropping by. Yes! The urgency I felt as I sought my lost ring gave me insight to the urgency God seeks us. Its lovely how He does that.
Why is it that we always have to keep ending ourselves that we are his great treasure.
Oh how a he loves us
It is something I wish I could always keep in the forefront of my heart and mind…