Al Kyte's Life Take-Aways

 

She opened the book and out fell a piece of paper that looked to be quite old.  She picked it up and read the words written back who knows when.  I told her of the old pirate who had apparently once lived in this area and was rumored to have buried treasure nearby.  People had long looked for, but never found, a clue to that treasure’s location.  Was this his writing? 

Apparently something in those words registered with the girl because she rushed outside.  I tried to follow as best I could.  That note seemed to be leading her somewhere.  Finally I found her digging in a sandy area just as her shovel struck something hard.  Within a few moments she had uncovered a small, old-fashioned wooden chest.  She opened it to find treasure—jewelry and gold coins.  Her eyes were filled with wonder and excitement.

I witnessed such treasure hunts with both of our children and each of our grandchildren for I was the culprit who had engineered each hunt.  To give the note an ancient look I had cut a section from a brown-paper grocery bag and burned its edges.  The box was filled with cheap costume jewelry and gold coins with chocolate inside.  The excitement, however, was real.  Even after finding that their first hunt had been contrived, each of those children pleaded with me for subsequent treasure hunts.  That is how much fun they are.

I did those treasure hunts because as a child I had always wanted to experience one myself, but never had.  Even our Easter egg hunts had been indoors.  I just had to make things right for the children who came along after me.

I believe our life journey may be viewed as a treasure hunt as well in which people seem to be looking in different directions.  Some seek their treasure through possessions.  Others put their energies into big events or trips to distant places.  Still others seek expertise in some activity or hobby.  I have been fortunate to find pleasure in each of these ways, realizing that each has added dimension to my life.  But they all have fallen short in being the treasure I have sought.  I have been drawn more to changes that are going on within me, something not dependent on possessions, events or expertise but through which I can find contentment and peace whatever I might be going through.

When taking time to examine my beliefs, one question I have asked is “What does God expect of me?”  Then I read in the Proverbs that we are to seek Him as we would seek hidden treasure, and that if we do, He will find us.  That spoke of something more than casual pursuit.

Farther along in the scriptures I read that the kingdom of heaven is likened to a treasure hidden in a field that a man finds and sells all that he has to obtain.  I recall that the famous British missionary to China, Jackie Pullinger, when teaching this parable, would ask her students “Who is that treasure so worth obtaining?”  Assuming they would have answered “Jesus”, I was surprised that most of those Chinese youths had replied, “I am that treasure”.  “How can you be that treasure?” she would ask.  “It is because Jesus suffered so much and gave up His very life out of love for me”.  They were not seeing the love relationship from our point of view but from the perspective that came first, God’s love for us.  For me this treasure includes, not only receiving His love, but also sharing it with people He has placed in my path, even if it be nothing more than offering a smile or encouraging word.   A sign in our garden reads, “The grace we have been given becomes our gift to the world.”