Waving his metal detector over the ground in a sweeping motion, he wasn’t sure what he’d find, but he knew that it was worth the search – just to see what turned up.
Willingly, he paid the price to methodically and intentionally search for the unknown.
Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected to uncover a valuable lost item. But if he’d never thought of looking … if he’d never thought to bring the tools necessary to carry out that search, he would have never found the unexpected which surpassed anything he could have ever imagined.
Just as seasons come and go, bringing with them, the bitter cold, biting wind, scorching sun and balmy days with spring flowers, so our lives endure these same seasons. People come into our lives and leave … and with each experience, we are left with lessons. The meanings we put to those lessons are fashioned and shaped by our upbringing and those who raised us. Left unnoticed, we are enslaved to them and will be limited in our ability to search for the treasures that lie within us.
Like the layers of mud, dirt, decaying leaves and sandy soil cover ancient treasures, negative experiences and thinking bury dreams, abilities and gifts that are natural and amazing within us. Just as old homesteads are forgotten and fall apart, so do those special abilities and pleasurable hobbies that become long-forgotten.
Seeking that which was lost is a process that may take a great deal of time, but is well worth the search. As you uncover memories of what you use to be like as a child and what interested you, remember how your personality was back then. Were you a happy-go-lucky child? A serious child who had deep thoughts? An adventurous child or a quiet loving child? What happened to you?
Sometimes we lose track of who we were because of the events of life and the opinions of others. We learn to take that which is strong in us and suppress it to avoid conflict or punishment by those who do not understand us. Eventually, like a lost cabin in the woods, we lose our way and what was strong in us appears to have fallen apart from neglect and decay.
Every treasure hunter knows that to hunt treasure, you need to bring tools and supplies for your journey. Food and water and the necessities of life (such as a roll of toilet paper!) are needed for extended searches. Tools for digging, washing the dirt from finds and a container to lay those found treasures in, are basic.
When seeking the lost treasures in yourself, you will need supplies as well, and will be more successful in uncovering what was lost when you seek with intent and focus. What is needed? Rest, grace, forgiveness to sustain your strength, and tools such as a coach, a counselor or educational tools are necessary for the digging and analyzing. Oh, and don’t forget the toilet paper! (as you know … stuff happens!)
Don’t be afraid to get dirty in your seeking. Emotions are a part of the journey. Anger, resentment, grieve, disbelief and other negative emotions will want to cling to you, like the crushed leaves and mud that a seeker will press into as they dig. Notice it and brush it off. It’s all a part of the process!
Resist putting new meanings onto old stories. No need to keep heaping dirt over the treasure that lies beneath. Each of us is on a journey and each of us has been shattered and broken in some area of our lives. This is FACT. Focus on the facts and extend the grace you want others to extend to you for the mistakes they made. No one is without unfortunate choices, sin and betrayal. Keep digging … notice … dig … analyze … wash …. store for later fact finding … journal … be patient in the process …
Your love of writing, or music. Self worth, intelligence, traveling, or teaching, might be undiscovered treasures that you’ve forgotten and that bring you great joy. The list is unlimited and rediscovering and embracing these gems is well worth the time it takes for you to intentionally seek value in yourself.
Here’s the surprising result of seeking treasure and uncovering that which was lost in you … when you validate yourself and love yourself, you attract others who will value and respect you and give the love you sought after for so long, but didn’t know that it needed to begin with you first.
In fact, if we do not learn how to see value in ourselves and how to love ourselves first, then we will never be able to recognize love and valuing from others, no matter how intensely they give it to us. We cannot recognize something we’ve never discovered!
Metaphors are wonderful for us to view the process of healing and growth from a distance, while receiving deep understanding for the wealth that lays hidden in the journey, bypassing our analytical minds and law-based thinking that constantly puts conditions and rules on every thought. There is a very real reason why Jesus taught in parables! It bypassed the mind and resonated with the heart. What resonates with you?