Meditation on Hidden Treasures

My blog is called “Discovering Hidden Treasures,” a title taken from Matthew 13 where a man discovers the treasure in the field and sells everything he has to buy the field. He discovered a hidden treasure. One thing I want to do in my life is discover all the “treasures” God has for me, even when they emerge in the most unsuspecting and difficult places.

That is exactly what I have been trying to do this year. It has not been an easy year by any stretch of the imagination. It has been my hardest year of teaching, not because the teaching or the classroom itself has been difficult, but because of other things in my life. There’s more than I can get into here, but, suffice it to say, there have been many times this year that I have been overwhelmed by everything going on.

And yet, in the midst of all these trials and overwhelming circumstances, I want to find the hidden treasures. I want to find the little jewels hidden throughout each day and praise God for them. In order to find some of these treasures, I’ve had to give up a lot. I would not have found some if it had not been for all the difficulties I have encountered this year. It hasn’t been easy. Yet, looking back, I’m not sure if I would give up those difficulties. The hidden treasures I’ve discovered are too valuable.

I can’t help but thinking that the farmer from Matthew had to feel the same way. In order to get the treasure, he had to sell everything. That couldn’t have been easy. He gave up all comfort and security for the treasure—house, clothes, livestock, land, food, etc. He probably also gave up popularity and acceptance. I’m sure people thought he was crazy, including his family. They may have wanted nothing to do with him. But he gave it all up anyway, knowing that what he had discovered in the field was more valuable than all that other stuff.

As Christians, God calls us to do this very same thing in our own lives. The greatest treasure we could ever imagine is waiting for us (the kingdom of God), but in order to get it, we have to give up everything: comfort, security, friends, family, homes, health, etc. But once we get it, the joy we experience is beyond compare and makes all of our sacrifices so worth it.

That’s exactly how I want to live my life. I want to look for the hidden treasures buried not only in everyday things but also in trials and tribulations. It’s not an easy process; some days I struggle to find any. But other days are filled with so many hidden blessings that I just sit back and marvel. But regardless of how easy they are to find, each day is filled with many hidden treasures, all a result of the goodness of God. Now, I can’t sit here and tell you that, at any given moment, these treasures outweigh the difficult circumstances I am facing or the troubles I am experiencing. However, I can tell you that, looking back over this whole year, God’s hidden treasures and blessings do outweigh the difficulties (even if it didn’t feel like it at the time).

My emotions sometimes still get the better of me, and I struggle to find the joy in these treasures when I feel weight of everything I have given up for them. As a matter of fact, I’m struggling with it today and had to make a list of all the possible good things that could come from a difficult and trying circumstance. But, after praying about it and making that list, I am finding some hidden treasures and rediscovering the joy that is found in Christ. I can rest securely in my Savior’s arms knowing that He will be with me and carry me through whatever I am facing.

Because this year has been so tough, my roommate Kari and I came up with a way to document the hidden blessings in each day, even on the days that seemed the hardest and the darkest. Every night before we went to bed, we would write down any praises we had from the day, no matter how big or how small. I can’t even tell you how many times we have been thankful for simple things like a yummy dinner or Kari’s dog Kit. But these praises tell a story: the story of God’s faithfulness to us in the midst of overwhelming and difficult circumstances. Some days I struggled to come up with more than one or two things I am thankful for that day. Some days we would write things that we are thankful for, like God’s goodness, even if we didn’t “feel” them that day. Some days we were done in what felt like mere seconds because it had been a “good” day. But no matter how big or how small, how easy or difficult, those praises represent hidden treasures we discovered that day.

We wrote all of the hidden treasures on multi-colored shapes cut out from the Ellison machine at school, one shape per day (can you tell we are teachers?). And we weren’t done for the day until the shape was filled. We would then hang these shapes up around my bedroom (where I’ve spent a lot of time this year resting my arms). The walls are now literally a testimony to God’s goodness and faithfulness. Sometimes I just read some of the shapes that are on my walls and rejoice at how much God has done. He has always provided just what we need, and frequently more. Reading the praises once again kindles the joy of discovering hidden treasures.

So, I guess all of this to say, though this has been the hardest year of teaching I’ve ever had, perhaps the hardest year of my whole life so far, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I don’t always feel that way (as Kari could tell you) and sometimes just want to give up, but I know that God has a purpose for everything I have gone through this year and that He will use it all for His good and His glory. What else could I ask for?