Hidden Treasures

Before leaving this past summer for Central America I did something I always do prior to leaving for a trip: put my jewelry in our safety deposit box. It was the day before I left. Along with packing and a million other errands, going to the bank to ensure safe keeping of my treasures was squeezed into this jam packed day. I came home and thought to myself, “I should hide the safety deposit box key.” So I did just that. The next day off I went for my 3 month stint in Central America. The problem came when I arrived home and couldn’t remember where I hid the key.

I searched the house frantically. I emptied drawers, looked under rugs, I even retrieved my ladder from the basement to look in the places where I couldn’t reach. Now, it occurred to me that I never got the ladder OUT to hide the key; however, that mattered not one-ioda because I was desperate! I wanted my jewelry. I called the bank and explained my dilemma. They told me I would have to pay a nice price to bust open the box. So, I returned to my search. I got the ladder out again.

While on top of the ladder, searching in paraphernalia I didn’t even know I had, the Lord began to draw some parallels. I realized this is what I do many times in life when I don’t have the answers to something I want answers to. I analyze things to death, exhaust every possible scenario, tilt my head towards heaven and beg the Lord in desperation because surely HE HAS THE ANSWERS. I usually include in my plea, “Why aren’t you telling me the answer? Don’t you know that I am seeking you for the answer?” I drive myself crazy and probably the Lord as well.

God has gotten a lot of mileage out of this parallel. I knew standing on top of that ladder that He did in fact know where the key was. I also knew He wasn’t going to show me where it was right then. At that moment it wasn’t about the key or the jewelry. He wanted to show me something about me and something about Him.

You see, God knows all that we don’t. He has the key to all of the questions locked up inside of us. There are things we want NOW that God says we can’t have until later. Things in our lives that have perplexed us for years are the things God has been molding and shaping into masterpieces one day to be revealed. The losses in our life are opportunities in His hands for our redemption. The delayed longings of our heart are the Lord’s joy to fulfill, in His time. He is not holding treasures FROM us; rather, He is holding them FOR us. ALL things are kept securely in the hands of our loving Father who knows exactly WHEN.

I have had to exercise discipline not to spend the money and go bust open the box. When I would think about the beautiful pieces of jewelry my husband has given me and long to be able to wear them, the Lord would remind me of the lesson He was teaching me that day on the ladder. I knew He would show me the key one day. So I have been waiting.

Today as I was getting something out of one of my drawers, one that I had explored during my frantic search, there was the key. I ran to put my jeans and flip flops on, threw up my hair, grabbed my keys, and got myself down to the bank. There were treasures to be had THIS day!

Joy