A Priceless Treasure

About seven years ago our home was broken into. You, I, and most thieves know that somewhere in our homes there is a drawer, usually in our master bedrooms (now the secret is out), where we keep our treasures. The thieves found that drawer and made off with many of my personal items. Old coins I’d had since I was a kid, class rings, that kind of thing. For the record, I’ve found better places to keep my treasures.

Any respect that I might have had for the cunning of the thieves was tainted by the fact that they left one of my most valuable and prized possessions in plain sight. It was right there in the drawer with the other things of much lesser value that were taken. It must have been either a miracle of God in blinding the sight of the thieves or they were ignorant of the value of the item.

It was in a baby food jar so I know they could clearly see through the jar. Inside the jar was a “squishy ball” and 47 cents. The “squishy ball” is indescribable. It is blue and covered with tentacle like projections. I don’t really know what you do with a “squishy ball” except hold it in your hand and, well…squish it.

You see, one Father’s Day when Ashley was about 6 years old she took a baby food jar put the squishy ball that she got at the concession stand at the children’s camp that we used to lead every summer, put all of her money in the jar (the 47 cents), and wrapped it with newspaper and gave it to me because she loved me. It was a gift of great sacrifice because she has always been very fond of money in any form. Fourteen years later I still have that gift exactly as it was given.

Ignorant thieves. They missed the most valuable thing in that drawer.

What gave this treasure its value? It was the heart of a father for the giver of the gift. The treasure had its value because of what it was worth to the one who gave me the gift. Because it was special and important to my dearly loved 6 year old it was special and important to me.

As our church focuses upon this season of considering the “lost” (Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost) we must understand that the value of each person is wrapped up in how much that person means to our Heavenly Father who first loved us and gave his only Son that everyone of us might be found. That’s why every person has such immense value.

Why do we have a heart to see people found by Christ? It is because the heart of the Father goes out to them. Since we love God we value what he values the most—lost people being found.

As we are impacted by the heart of God toward the lost here are a few points of encouragement to consider.

Don’t be afraid – God’s Spirit will “coach” us in what to say when God gives us divine encounters with people who need a relationship with Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)

Be motivated by God’s love – The Holy Spirit (God’s Spirit) will give us a deep desire to connect with the world around us. Because God loves them his love will “rub off” on us and we will find ourselves really, really caring about people.

Just say what’s on your heart – When engaged in a divine encounter with someone God is drawing just say what’s on your heart. (Mark 13:11) (definition: A divine encounter is a meeting that looks like a chance meeting but it was really orchestrated by God for a purpose.)

Follow God’s lead – God’s Spirit will give us impulses that will be right on if we follow them. (Acts 8, The story of Philip)

As you consider God’s call to you to reach out and connect with those who have not yet been impacted by God’s love pray through and think through these points and allow the Spirit of God to lead you in reaching out to that which is most important to the heart of God—people who need an encounter with Christ.

Tapestry

My seemingly healthy 28 year old nephew died in his sleep on September 1. It was a really tough loss.

As I looked at pictures and videos I thought of all of the holidays and special days that the family spent together. I was having trouble wrapping my head around the loss and being able to put it into words. Finally I found words to describe what I was feeling.

It was as though a tapestry had been woven for years and years. Every memory was woven into this tapestry and completed a picture of my own children's childhood, of our family history, of fun times and challenges. These encounters all woven together formed a picture that was descriptive of our lives. It seemed that the tapestry would just continue to be woven infinitely.

With Brian's passing it was as though someone pulled a thread out of the tapestry leaving it rent, not destroying the whole thing but leaving a space in the picture that could never be repaired.

Loss of loved ones is simply a part of life. We all face it sooner or later and the older we get the more frequently we face it. In fact, given the reality of our mortality, sooner or later all of the threads will be pulled from the tapestry that was once our lives. Eventually no first hand living memories will survive.

Whenever we face a death it reminds us of our own mortality.

I want to leave a legacy behind that will outlast the memories of those who shared this life with me. What can I leave behind that will make this world a better place? Every investment that I make in someone else that can in turn be passed on can and will contribute to my legacy. I'll never know how many people I impact and most of the impact that I have in this life won't even be credited to my account.

I must be mindful of the fact that I am contributing to two pictures or two tapestries. The one that weaves into the lives of my family and friends as life memories and the tapestry that I am weaving through my contributions into other people's tapestries.

There is a picture that I contribute to that will endure and go beyond my life and earthly existence.

I want to be a legacy leader.

I was always taught to finish the things that I start but I want to start things that are so big that they cannot be finished in my life time. The only way that I can do that is to keep making deposits into other people's lives, keep helping others to be better and to step up so that the good that we start together can pass on to the next generation and continue on.

We are all contributing to a tapestry. I want to sow my thread into pictures that will endure far beyond my own life. When I'm gone I will leave a rent in someone's tapestry but I hope there are many other pictures that I've contributed to that will continue to be enjoyed for generations.