Buried Treasure

sunken-treasure-shipTreasure hunters have recently recovered 1,ooo ounces of gold worth 1.3 million dollars from a ship that was wrecked during a hurricane in 1857. The ship was carrying 21 tons of freshly minted gold coins and raw gold from the mines in California. All of that treasure sank with the ship and until recently has remained at the bottom of the sea.

Treasure is of no value unless it is discovered.

For mothers of young children whose lives are consumed with:

  • sleepless nights because your child is scared of monsters in the dark
  • piles of dirty laundry that seem to rise up and judge you
  • incessant fights between siblings over which DVD they’ll watch
  • cleaning up the juice box spill when your child squeezed it and sprayed the headliner of your van
  • trying to cover up the fact that you have had no time to shower…again.
  • unending tears due to an earache that your pediatrician tells you has nothing to do with teething,

buried treasure is of no interest and can stay buried! The ship of a mother’s life is directed at surviving the preschool storms of the day and at arriving in the calm waters called “bedtime.” If there is treasure lying below the surface of her sea she is often too tired to want to explore it!  How would a Mom’s life be changed if she “accidently” found that there is treasure very near her?

 God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidently found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field. 
Matthew 13:44

The apostle Paul was ecstatic when he discovered a treasure in this life of such surpassing greatness that all other pursuits paled in comparison. In fact he proclaimed,

Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One)
Philippians 3:8

Oh young mothers, please do not waste your time thinking my goal is to heap on more “Mom guilt” because you are not able to find the time to sit quietly with coffee and your Bible in this season of life. No, I am not calling you to anything that requires you to expend more planning effort. What I am calling you to is a perspective change. I am calling you to realize that as you navigate the beautiful mess that is your life, the life that seems to be ruled by a preschooler who thinks they are king, that you live aware of the real truth–the ecstatic truth–the most valuable and empowering truth. Precious treasure is very near every moment of your day. The treasure is your caring King who brought you into His kingdom for your good and His glory!

“The Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver!

Job 22:25

Treasure is of no value unless it is discovered.