I found a treasure chest!

It was covered in a thick layer of dirt and partly hidden beneath a shrub.
Someone had tossed it under there to get rid of it,
and it just so happened to catch my eye while I stood waiting for my husband to meet me outside of a burger place.
Bekah was in my arms, so I resisted the urge to reach down and grab it.
I waited for Juan.

"Babe, can you hand me that box, please?" I asked gingerly.
"What box??"
"The box under there." I pointed under the shrub.
[I gotta give him credit for reaching out and grabbing it before complaining that I shouldn't be taking home trash. The complaint immediately followed the action.]
"Why do you want this box??"
[I couldn't blame him. It wasn't very appealing. at all.
But in my mind I could think of at least ten different uses for it at home.
I could envision it all cleaned up and a whole lot less gross.]

"Baaabe, cuz it's a cool box! It's a treasure chest!"
"It's disgusting."
"I love it!"
"It's trash."
We did this back and forth thing as we made our way to the car.
Finally, he gave in, or so I thought.
He smiled and gave his final answer: "Okay, let's just take it home with us ... and throw it in the trash."
I smiled with glee.
The box was coming home!

I woke up this morning, fed Bekah, made myself a cup of coffee, and found a permanent home for my dear little treasure chest.
I cleaned it up (boy was it gross!) and it now sits in our hall, adding just another sweet and cozy touch to our new place.
Everything my husband grabs on his way out the door will be stored in that box:
his keys, his shades, his chapstick...
What was once useless and disgusting to him will now be convenient and quite useful indeed.

Which brings me to the following thought:

How often do we call something "junk" when underneath the dirt and grime lies something sweet-
something that will be a blessing to us?
How often do we overlook people that we think are pretty uninteresting?
That very same person that you aren't very interested in, could potentially become a dear friend
if you just gave him/her a try.

[I'm speaking to myself like crazy here, people... you have no idea!]

Let's learn to look beyond the exterior
and appreciate the treasure that God strategically places on our paths.

Now go "find" YOUR treasure chest!

"Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for the silversmith."
-Proverbs 25:4



[instagram: @golden_applesauce]