The Treasure Box

Please enjoy this guest blog post from Dr. Michele Morgan, a member of the Platform Launchers community.

As I walked the dusty isles of the thrift shop, my eyes moved up and down the shelves, looking for that perfect treasure. Lots of clothes, dishes, pots, and pans dressed shelf after shelf. My curiosity found me in a back room almost hidden away with few items on a rickety, wooden shelf. Stuck back in the corner, as if waiting to be discovered, stood a fine jewelry box. Looking around to see if anyone else followed me, I approached with awe. Reaching to pull on one of the drawers I wondered what I would discover.

Old buttons covered the inside of one drawer. Hair pins from days gone by lay in another drawer. Whoever this majestic jewelry box belonged to, left trash in several other drawers. To my dismay, no old jewelry emerged. Then a thought occurred to me. I reached my hand behind one of the drawers and to my surprise, discovered a note. A mother at some point hand wrote a note to her child. It said, “Nichole, I hope you’re feeling well. I’m thinking of you today! I love you! Love, Mommy (and Mommy drew a picture of herself at the bottom of the note). A smile came across my face and then sadness. I wondered if Nichole got the note from her mom. Or maybe the jewelry box belonged to Nichole and she forgot about it.

As I walked to the checkout with the jewelry box in my hand, another thought came to me. I am much like that jewelry box in God’s eyes. A treasured vessel, hidden, waiting to be filled with His precious jewels. Just like this empty box, I too must be emptied before Him for Him to fill me up with what He knows is best. Tucked away in a back closet, I have felt undiscovered, unloved at times, and without much purpose. Like this jewelry box, just waiting for God to find me, prepare me, and fill me up with His purposes.

A hundred Scriptures began to flood my mind about the goodness of God, that He has a purpose for all of us who will believe. That my walk with Jesus must be one of faith, not doubt. That love is patient, and in the waiting, He is working both to will and do His good pleasure in me. This jewelry box with its note shifted my perspective on what was really happening in my life. God revealed His hidden treasure, Christ in me the hope of Glory.

The store clerk called my name as I was next in line. Saying hello, she said, “I hope you’re feeling well?” “Yes,” I said, telling her it was good to see her again. “I have been thinking of you lately,” she said. My eyes widened with surprise. “Really? I’m good, thanks! Look what I found in the back room!” She smiled, “Yes, someone from out of town brought that in yesterday and donated it to the store. She said it belonged to a relative who passed and no one from the family wanted it.”

She rang me up and we said goodbye. As I started the car, I looked over at the jewelry box on the front seat and thought, ‘Today God showed up at a thrift shop, using a discarded jewelry box to connect the dots in my life. Wait! The store clerk said almost the exact words that were on the note! Except… I heard the Lord finish the note, I love you!