Hidden Treasure

She sat sideways in the leather chair while snowflakes danced down her legs over the armrest. Hurricane Christmas has littered her with presents big and small. One gift remained under the tree which bore the same name as her new Nike iD shoes - Hannah.

As the wrapping floated to the floor, another wrapped box appeared inside. Nested one inside the other, there was four boxes in all. The final package fit inside her hands. Somehow this made its' paper more difficult to tear.

Trembling hands opened the velvet case inside and out tumbled her James Avery charm bracelet, a treasure from her thirteenth birthday, misplaced in 2010.

The best gift was the one she'd had all along.

I wonder about us. Did we unwrap the very best gift this Christmas - the one we've had all along?

Hannah's bracelet had been close all these months - in the middle compartment of my car. We had opened that space hundreds of times but kept overlooking the treasure within.

I do that sometimes. I look at the outside things like circumstances, annoyances and inconvenience and overlook the treasure within.

The hidden joy is pressing closer to Christ in the midst of my difficulty. It's the gift I've had all along. Sometimes I just forget to take it out of the package.

12 comments:

  1. This is so true, Shannon. In every situation God allows, there is an opportunity to grow and draw closer to Him. He's testing us -- He's watching to see if He can trust us with more. We should always keep this in mind when dealing with difficulty. Thanks for posting!

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  2. Beautiful post :) I hope that you had wonderful holidays and looking forward to the new year.
    Blessings,
    Barbara

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  3. Love this Shannon! :) God is always there for us as our gift. We simply need to open our eyes to His beauty.

    ~Blessings,
    Rosann

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  4. Love it! So often the thing we really want is really in front of us the whole time and we just need to open our eyes. I felt that truth about the Presence of God this Christmas, too. Being rich is having Him.

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  5. Hi Shannon - love how you say "The best gift was the one she'd had all along" so true how sometimes we overlook what we already have and think there is better out there. God is best. Great to be catching up with you again Shannon
    God bless
    Tracy

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  6. What a nice post! I love how you say He is our gift, we just have to take it, HIM, out of the package:) Sometimes we take Him out and then put Him back in. May we open Him up and treasure this gift every single minute of every single day!
    Visiting you from Chelle's blog.
    Happy New Year to you!

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  7. Gwendolyn, love your perspective to grow during adversity. I am reminded that God disciplines the one He loves. His discipline leads us into His arms!

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  8. Barbara, Looking forward to celebrating all God has done this last year and anticipating what He will do in the coming year!

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  9. Rosann, you too are a gift from God!

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  10. Jamie Joy, love this "Being rich is having Him"

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  11. Tracy, oh how I overlook the obvious. Thank you God for sweet sisters like you who help me see!

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  12. Kristin, so true - I keep putting Him in the box. No wonder He stands at the door and knocks...

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