“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
Matthew 13:44 (NAB)
The Israelites went through extensive humbling while they wandered through the wilderness. Besides being hungry, thirsty, and bitten by snakes, they missed the comforts of home. God had many treasures in store, but they were dwelling on the problems during their journey instead of the promise of their destination.
In 2019, I went through a type of wilderness when my late husband was diagnosed with ALS and died within a year. The following year was the Covid pandemic and my church was closed for months. Then, I was furloughed from my job, and didn’t see much of anyone at all. I was living in a strange state of isolation, as was everyone else that year.
During that time, I wondered if I had any gifts, and how I could use them during the downtime. I’ve always read scripture, but that year, I started journaling whatever I learned, which led me to write meditations. Although I never sent them to anyone, I couldn’t stop writing, and it became my passion during that period of solitude. I mentioned it to my friend, Laura, and she asked me to send the meditations to her, and so I did.
To make a long story short, soon there were friends of friends, receiving daily meditations, via group email and phone texts. My passion for writing continued to grow, and I still write a meditation each day. The first treasure that was hidden in my wilderness, was a love for writing.
The second treasure that I found during that period of isolation was a relationship with the Holy Spirit. I began to talk to Him every day, asking for direction, wisdom, and inspiration before writing, and that’s how the meditations kept flowing. It’s the Holy Spirit who woke me up one night with the idea to name my website and a future book, Kissed by the Spirit.
In 2023 I entered an unexpected new wilderness, when my adult son, Jon, at the age of 43, had a serious motorcycle accident. He went through brain surgery, two weeks in a coma, and is now awake but living in a long term care facility. There are many unknowns regarding his prognosis, but he is slowly making progress.
The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to something else while I was visiting his Nursing Facility one day. As I looked around, I saw other people who would sit alone, receive no attention and never have a single visitor. That was the day I discovered a third treasure hidden in my wilderness. It’s the treasure of befriending the friendless.
The residents responded so happily to the smallest thing I would say or do. Whether it’s a smile, a hug, or simply greeting them by their name, they received a gift of dignity. People need to be acknowledged and I made many new friends at the Nursing Home.
Whatever kind of wilderness we are in, it helps to remember that this life is a journey, not the final destination. It also helps to look outward, to see those who are around us, instead of dwelling on our loss, because God sends people to each other for a reason. That’s how I found the treasures hidden in my wilderness.
The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and we receive His comfort so that we can go out and comfort others. We each have a unique mission on this journey of life, but we’re all headed toward a common destination, which is heaven.
An old man used to sit in a church pew, looking at the altar, praying long after the service was over. His minister asked him, “What are you hoping or praying for?” He answered, “Nothing, I just look at Jesus and He looks at me.”
That’s the spirit of adoration. Prayer doesn’t always have to be filled with frantic requests. If we spend some time looking at Jesus, He looks back at us and shows us where our next hidden treasure is.
Lord, help all those who are journeying through a wilderness, and open our eyes to find the treasures hidden around us. Amen
