Lightning flashes illuminate their fear.
The winds howl like a frenzied beast as the angry sky releases torrents into the churning deep. One single dreaded word shouted from the deck—
Hurricane!
Panic ensues when the great vessels begin to pitch and groan as giant waves crash, batter and break the proud ships. Spanish ships laden with treasure to the tune of four hundred million dollars begin sinking off the coast of Florida.
Twelve ships begin the journey, only one ship finishes it. More than one thousand men perish in a watery grave that stormy day three-hundred years ago.
Fast forward three centuries—can you imagine this?
Diving in the ocean and you see it.
On the floor, slightly uncovered.
It winks,
It flirts,
It is gold,
Real, pure, solid gold.
A couple weeks ago the story broke. A family on their annual treasure hunting trip found fifty-one gold coins and forty feet of gold chain. One extremely rare coin was worth over five-hundred thousand dollars.
The crazy thing?
They found them near the coastline
Clearly visible in fifteen feet of water.
It makes me sigh, and think wistfully about the possibilities…
To never have to worry about bills to pay
And driving cars with two hundred thousand miles on them
And wondering if I’ll have enough money to retire on someday…
But bigger than my own selfish thoughts:
Scholarships for christian education could be funded
And missionaries supported
And church plants begun…
But in reality how often do we miss the real treasure when it’s right under our noses?
Sometimes we are so tuned into trials and what we don’t have that the blessings go right over our head. God cares for us in the largest mind blowing of ways and the tiniest whisper of ways. It’s the small daily things we often overlook.
I don’t have a perfect or worry-free life. Troubles are heavy and burdens are piling. Sleepless nights are an occasional occurrence when I have a hard time turning off my brain and resting in the arms of Jesus.
So I tell myself focus, focus, praise
One day at a time…
God has blessed me with treasures much more valuable than gold;
A loving husband
Beautiful children
Parents who love and nurture
A caring church family.
When someone gazes at my life I hope they can overlook my selfish pursuits and see my treasure stored in:
The cause for Christ
A well-worn but loving marriage
Precious hours spent with my family.
Not money and the material trappings which so quickly entangle us in our society of excess and extravagance.
I love a good adventure, I could learn to scuba dive and try my hand in the salt water coast,
But I think for now I’ll just stay home and enjoy the abundant and overflowing treasures I have.
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Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
-Are you more focused on what you have or what you have not?
– As a reminder of your treasures, make a blessings list today of ten things. Post it on your mirror or refrigerator. Read it daily and add to it.