Everybody Loves a Treasure

By Norma Vera 

Several years ago, I was going through a divorce.  I went to California to visit my older sister for a season.  She treated me with so much love; I will never forget her kindness.  When I cried myself to sleep at night – she would sit on the floor by my bed and kiss my hand, I could feel her tears run down my fingers.

What a treasure of a sister she was to me.  What is a treasure?  A treasure is someone who says or does little things that make a big difference.

I have an adopted three-year-old granddaughter.  We were sitting on my back porch the other day, and she asked me.  “Mom (as she calls me) do you know where Jesus lives, can we go visit him at his house?”  She spontaneously says the cutest things, what a delight, and treasure she has been to us.

Everyone loves individuals who enhance and enrich our lives.  We love those who add joy, peace, and harmony to it.  The in-laws love the spouse that comes into the family adding value.  Employers reward workers who help promote the company.  Spouse’s love the partner with whom they can communicate and work as a team.  Parents love children who listen and obey. These types of people give meaning and value to life.  They are so easy to love and get along with.  We love them, not because of their outward, but inward beauty.

Mother Teresa was a great example.  She was a treasure of a woman – who earned the worlds respect.  Her love, courage, and commitment to hurting humanity lifted her up before man.

Now, on the other hand, we have friends and relatives who are hard to bear.  They add heaviness, stress, tension, and anxiety to our lives.  Some can never be pleased, and everything we say or do is the wrong thing, they focus on the negative, instead of the positive.  When we see them coming we want to run in another direction. This is not true of God.  He loves us so much He cannot see our faults.  To Him we are treasures hidden in earthen vessels worth dying for.  He does not run away from us, as goofy as we are.  He runs towards us.  How sweet is that?

So what do we do with the relative we could easily disown, the child we could almost hate, or the neighbor we cannot stand?  Imagine how they would feel if they sensed that we loved them as Jesus loves us.

Jesus finds the good in us, and we can find the good in others if we try.

I was telling my friend, about a disagreement I had with a relative.  I explained to her how I could not talk with this relative, because every time I mention the problem, he would smart-alecky say.  “I don’t have an issue with that.” It made me so angry.  I told my friend, “Of course he doesn’t have any issues, he is the bully, that’s why”.

My friend very casually turned around and said, “If your relative is the bully, than you must be the sweet one who never does anything wrong.”  We looked at each other and started laughing.  Sometimes the things we say are so absurd, but we don’t know how foolish it sounds until we hear ourselves say it. We look at ourselves, as terrific people.  It is humorous.  I imagine that is what the Pharisee (Luke 18:89) must have felt when he lifted his eyes up to heaven and prayed.  “God, I thank you that I am not like this fellow here.  I do all the right things.  I tithe. . .  I fast . . . I . . .”

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and we behold ourselves with eyes of love.  We are bad, but never as bad as the other fellow is.  Aren’t we funny creatures?

I had a Christian aunt who had a hateful attitude, but you know what?  She was a prayer warrior and prayed the whole family into the kingdom.

When I was a child, I had a mean teacher.  Nobody liked her, but she made sure we all knew how to read before she promoted us to a higher grade.

I have found that when we look at others with the eyes of love, we will always find a treasure hidden there somewhere.

If we cannot find one, than let us be one.