Re-Discovered

How many times can one woman lose a diamond?  For me, it’s been five.  Five opportunities for panic or praise.  It was my choice once again recently, as I realized my diamond pendant was missing from its chain. A lesson to be learned…I had carelessly set it on a ring tree on the bathroom vanity instead of putting it away where it belonged.  It had been two weeks since I had worn it so I couldn’t imagine why it wasn’t there. With a history of four lost and found gems, I deliberately focused on past miracles rather than present panic.  Surely God would not allow me to lose what I held so dear, so praise became my weapon.

My husband had showered me with diamonds after my battle with breast cancer.  A beautiful matching set composed of a tri-cut diamond ring, tri-cut diamond earrings, and a tri-cut diamond pendant.  For over 20 years these material objects have been spiritually sentimental.  Like stones of remembrance, they represent both healing and husband!  Losing them was never an option, though a distressing reality on five occasions.

Maybe some of you have experienced the empty-prong panic.  That you-can’t-believe-it feeling in the pit of your stomach.  The first time I lost a diamond, I retraced every step I’d taken that day and returned home saddened and sick of heart.  It was nowhere to be found.  Dejected and discouraged, yet inwardly hopeful that God would somehow show me its hiding place, I committed it to the Lord.  It was then something sparkling caught my eye.  Wondering if I was seeing things, my pulse quickened as I bent down for a closer look.  Of all places it could have fallen that day, it had made its landing in my walk-in closet before I had even left home that morning.  I found myself leaping for joy as my lost diamond was re-discovered. 

Even more distressing was the time I pulled several crumpled dollar bills out of my coin purse to hand to a cashier, not remembering I had slipped my diamond earrings in there for safety earlier in the day.  What I didn’t realize was that motion sent both earrings flying, landing inside a small opening between the cash register and the counter.  I went home unaware of the loss.  It was a miracle in itself that they were found a few days later by a kind cashier who was doing some deep cleaning after hours, but the Lord used this situation for ministry.  She was a needy single mom with two children who chose to report her find.   I was so elated when the manager called me that I wrote her a letter explaining the sentimental value of my earrings and included a small reward.  She cried when she saw the money because it was the exact amount she needed for her daughter’s new glasses.  She allowed me to pray with her on the spot and to speak into her life.  While she could have kept the earrings for herself or sold them for a profit, she chose to do the right thing.  I recommended her to an organization that was looking for a needy family to sponsor, and she was blessed in return with many provisions for her family.  God loves to turn bad into good.  And I love to be part of it when He does.

I felt those sharp empty prongs twice in one week last year.  I had been out in the yard playing with my grandchildren when I discovered another diamond missing. Not wanting to panic, I simply walked around in the grass, thanking the Lord for past re-discoveries.  Suddenly I spotted something sparkling in the sun.  It couldn’t be.  But I was amazed to pick up a triangular piece of rock that turned into my diamond.  Miraculously found again.  Now of all the places it could have been in that grassy yard, God gave me eyes to see the treasure right beneath my feet.  After the prongs were repaired, it wasn’t but a few days later I saw something float past my eyes while exercising at the gym.  Thinking it was a piece of lint, I almost ignored investigating.  But was I glad I did for the diamond from my ring had again come loose and was lying on the floor.  Fortunately, I found it before I knew it was gone.  

Because of the above victories, recently losing the pendant brought a strong sense of faith to my heart.  I just needed to praise Him for all the re-discoveries of the past, while asking Him to open my eyes to the new hiding place.  From trash to vacuum cleaner bags I had searched until the only option was the pipes under the sink. If it had slipped down the drain two weeks earlier, the water that we’d run would surely have washed it away.  It was with bated breath that I poured out the water from the u-shaped pipe until I heard the little “clink” sound that it made!  My diamond pendant had been safely tucked away inside that section of the pipe just waiting to be discovered. I nearly jumped for joy!  Another miracle.  Another re-discovery.   

There’s a parable in the Bible about a woman who re-discovered something she once possessed.  One of her ten silver coins was missing.  It’s said that she lit a lamp, swept the house and searched carefully until she found it.  And when she found it, she called her friends and neighbors together to rejoice with her.  Similarly, I had searched until I found my diamond, and in writing this article I hope you’ll rejoice with me as well.  It’s interesting how Jesus compares finding valuable treasures on earth to the rejoicing of angels over one sinner who repents and gives his life to Jesus Christ.  What better lost and found situation can there be than for someone to re-discover God!  

Have you lost any gems lately?  It’s time to re-discover them.  They may not be physical treasures.  They’re often spiritual ones.  We can lose sight of truth by being careless or lazy with it, like I did when I didn’t put my diamond pendant back in the proper place.  We can lose hope for the future if we stop feeding on the Word because we’re too tired to get up a little earlier in the morning.  We can lose faith when we allow the cares of this life to cloud what we know to be true and important in life.  Jesus said that the worries of this life choke out the Word of God making us unfruitful.  

We can’t allow everyday problems to block out the beautiful shimmer of God’s absolute truth, love and provision.  Treasures of our faith can be hiding along the path we walk on or in the cracks of our foundation, yet we fail to see them, as I almost did when my diamond was hidden in the grass or in the crack between the counter.  It’s important to re-discover past treasures, things you used to know and value yet may have lost.  You may not sense the sparkle any more, but it’s there. You may just have to dig a little. Thank Him on purpose for past blessings, and then allow Him to open your eyes to find what you may have missed.  The valuable stuff is right there for you if you’ll be a little intentional to search.  But don’t forget to thank Him in the process and then call others to rejoice in what you’ve found.