Treasures are in the eye of the beholder. This was never truer than the day our son rescued my mother’s brooch, pictured above, from certain peril. Our carpets were being cleaned that day and with respect for the vocation of carpet cleaning, I explained that we would have strangers in our home for the day and advised our young son not to leave any valuables out in his room. He took the precaution quite seriously and began to roam the house, “securing valuables”. Later, he whispered for me to come and look at what I had left out! Carefully, he led me down the hallway to the very last room and revealed the treasure I had left unguarded. Looking both ways with slow, protective eyes and then sliding his hand smoothly into his pocket, he slowly drew out, with Faberge flair and a Tiffany touch, the rescued valuable… my mother’s old, dusty rhinestone brooch.
The brooch was never measured in terms of money, but simply by the special place given in our home and memories. It actually had very little monetary value and with it’s two missing rhinestone “gems”, a clasp that went to sleep years ago and dusty crevices from passing decades, it certainly would have been passed over by many as invaluable. But, in the eyes of our son, the glittery rhinestones were priceless facets and the sparkling turquoise and pink “carats” beckoned a rescue. It had value beyond measure in his little eyes.
It had value because of the worth that it had been given.
It’s a value not unlike ours. Regardless of how others perceive us, how we perceive ourselves, or how dusty the crevices of life have been, God sees us as having great value, great worth and being absolutely irreplaceable. He runs after us and gathers us up with tenacity far greater than our son did when he secured the family “treasure”. And a quiet heart can almost hear the sigh of relief that comes when He rescues us or when we draw close to Him. You are so valuable.
Even His descriptions of you are made with jewel-toned words, faceted with love. This one glimmers in my mind whenever I look at my mother’s brooch.
“Oh afflicted one, storm –tossed and not comforted. I'm about to rebuild you with stones of turquoise, foundations with sapphires, towers with rubies, gates with jewels, and all your walls with precious stones.” Isaiah 54:11
So, let the re-building begin. A foundation of sapphires? Towers of rubies? Gates of jewels? That’s a description of you. Why, I think you’re beginning to “catch the light” quite beautifully.
Laura
P.S. A special thank-you to my mother, Rose Skinner, for the priceless heirloom…a glittery pink & blue brooch and our son, Caleb, for the “rescue”.
