~ Hidden Treasures ~
By Lucy A. Cain

“I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel,
who summons you by name.” {Isaiah 45:3 NIV}

“Let’s go!”  The captain of the small boat grinned ear to ear as he stood with one foot in the boat, and one foot on the dock.  My stomach was churning with both uncertainty and excitement as our mission team headed out to a tiny island several miles away.

I don’t swim.  I am afraid of water over my head!  I thought about staying behind and faking a stomach ache or something, which wouldn’t have been a lie, but I gathered my courage and went with everyone else on that boat.  The team leader hired a local Belizean to take us to the island for a day excursion as our “reward” for a hard week of work in the heat.  The sun was shining brightly and no threat of a storm was visible.  I checked….

The wind blew in our faces as we headed out to sea.  We stopped at a little tiny island where a coast guard station was positioned and got off to explore the pretty shoreline and visit the little museum.

On to our destination!  The captain of the boat had his son with him that day.  He was about 10, and a complete joy to be with!  You could tell he thoroughly enjoyed being with his dad on the boat.  Once to the island, we all set up in different little sections of shade under gently swaying palm trees.  It was a perfect day, and a perfect place!  I remember standing in the center of the island, doing some exploring, and thinking how remarkable it was to stand there and see shoreline in all directions!  

That’s how small the island was.  There might have been two other couples on the island besides our mission team.  The captain of the boat fished with his son, hoping to take some home for their supper.  It was cute to watch from my little “lookout” in the middle of the island.  He came back to get us and took us out to the reefs to snorkel.  Since I don’t swim, snorkeling was not high on my list of to do’s!  The water was choppy over the reefs.  I tried it one time, but my life jacket kept making me feel like I was choking!

But, it was enough for me to understand why people love to snorkel the reefs of Belize.  The colorful fish under the water’s surface were breathtaking!  Sun-bright yellow, brilliant blue, shocking orange…you never knew what you would see when you dipped your eyes beneath the surface!  Those hidden treasures, only for “under water” eyes to behold. Only for eyes who dared to jump into the depths.

I thought about God’s treasures that day.  If I had chosen to stay behind because I was out of my comfort zone, I never would have been blessed by what I experienced!

Oh, don’t you see we’re the same?  God wants us to jump into the unknown with Him.  He wants to surprise us with so many hidden treasures that our minds can’t comprehend them.  He desires to bless us with a journey like none we’ve encountered!  He wants to bestow on us the gift of hidden treasures, experiences to be encountered only when we leap out of our comfort zones and into the depth of His love.

When you follow Christ, you will behold more wonders than you ever expect to!  You will stand back in awe of your God.  You will wonder what else there is out there for you … from Him.   You will shake your head in amazement, and lift your hands in praise!  You will be so glad you didn’t “stay behind”.  

Like the captain that held out his hand for me to get in the boat with him, God holds out His mighty hand.  He’s waiting on you to take it.  He’s waiting for you to make a commitment to following Him, and allowing Him to take you to a whole new place.  It’s a life full of adventure!  A life full of blessing!  And a life full of hidden treasures … treasures intended only for those who take the dive into the springs of Living Water.  What a perfect place to be!

So what are we waiting for!
Dive in!  

He’s waiting!
Have a beautiful day, y’all!
Hugs,
~ Deborah <><

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