Guest Blogger...Virelle Kidder

Treasures to Keep
By Virelle Kidder

I live on the Treasure Coast of Florida, where three centuries ago a fleet of Spanish galleons loaded with gold and jewels broke in pieces along an off shore reef in a hurricane. Their vast payload, strewn for miles along the bottom of the sea, remained hidden until the mid-1900’s when treasure hunters first located the wrecks. Some died millionaires.

The lure hit me last Spring when a young mother and her son sifted through a nearby shoreline one morning looking for shark’s’ teeth and bait. What they netted was a large green rock, a 69- carat, three hundred-year-old emerald worth nearly half a million dollars. That’s quite a catch.

“Selfish person that I am, I wondered, Lord,” I whined, “why couldn’t that happen to me?”

“But it already has, Virelle,” came His whispered reply..

“It has?” Ah, yes. I remembered now. It was so long ago.

As a baby Christian I remembered reading for the first reading time Jesus’ story in Matthew 13: 44–-46 about the man who found a pearl worth far more than that emerald. He sold everything he owned to buy it. Jesus compared his Kingdom to that pearl.

Jesus wasn’t illustrating casually that He existed. It wasn’t just a nice story with a moral I could take or leave. The story demanded my response. I knew God’s Kingdom was worth more than all the world’s toys, even my rights to myself, and my dreams for good things to happen in the future.

But what would it cost?

Everything.

As a new Christian, the price seemed steep.

Do I have to right now, Lord?

“Now is the time.”

At first I hung back, wanting to wait until my husband came to Christ, and my mother and brother, until I knew if my father ever came to faith before his death. How could I give myself to Jesus fully without my loved ones doing having done the same thing? But the choice was mine, not theirs.

In my heart I knelt alone, knowing Jesus, I realized, was truly all I ever wanted. In wild abandon, I flung everything else aside just to have Him as my treasure. “Lord, I want Your Kingdom above all else. Take everything, all of me. I want only to do Your will.” The surrender left me teary, but at peace. It was over. I’d bought the Pearl. God’s Kingdom would be mine forever, and no one could take it away.

Funny thing, I thought I was done choosing. Not so.

The last thirty-eight years following Christ brought a series of tough choices either for His best or my second best. Would I show Kingdom love to my yet unbelieving husband as he was, before he considered God his treasure, too? In another moment of painful surrender, I chose to trust God to give the love I needed. And He did, one hour at a time. I failed often, but God never did.

It proved true.

Miraculously, in the next six months, our marriage was radically restored. A few months later Steve asked Christ into his life— entirely without my help. I learned God’s best always and sacrificial love go hand in hand. Always.

Again and again, I’ve found choosing God’s best in life opens a safe mysterious, but mysterious safe, path. He offers no guarantees about what might happen next, or whether we’ll like giving up our own plans. But any loss is worth the joy of His immeasurable company no matter what happens.

I wonder how many people listened as Jesus spoke these parables? How many chose to let all else go but His Kingdom? Not many, then or now. The lure for earthly treasures is strong in all of us.

Treasure hunters continue to comb our beaches, hoping this will be the day they find a jewel or gold piece washed ashore. I watch now for more certain rewards, praying that Jesus and His Kingdom will increase daily in my heart.

Find out more about Virelle, her books and speaking at her website!

posted by Margaret McSweeney @ 5:44 AM