Treasure Under the Tree

Like most, I have a daily routine. Each morning I get dressed, gather the daily necessities, and off to work I go. I park in the same place everyday. I walk up the same sidewalk everyday. I greet the same people everyday. I hear the bird’s serenade and I see the glorious sunrise everyday.

One day last May was the same, with one small exception. I found an egg. There under the small tree that stands by the sidewalk, I spotted an Easter egg. What a surprise! “Hmmmm”, I thought, as I started to walk past; then a small, quiet voice spoke to me to go back and pick up the egg. So I did.

The green plastic egg was a little dirty and wet with the morning dew. I took it inside, washed and dried it, and placed it on my desk. I was somewhat amazed that I had found an Easter egg since Easter had been six weeks before. And then I began to think about how everyday I had walked up the sidewalk, past the small tree, yet I never noticed the oval treasure sitting there. How could that be, I wondered?

How many times is it that God prepares something for us, and places it right along side our path for us to discover, and we walk past it day after day, not noticing. And why is it we don’t see it sitting there?

As I looked back over the few weeks that had gone by, I remembered days I walked up the sidewalk past the small tree in a hurry, thinking about all the things I needed to do. Some days I worried about personal matters. Some days I grumbled and complained up the sidewalk past the tree where the egg lay.

The three mornings before, I had been troubled about why God was allowing certain things to happen in my life. People around me were questioning God’s purpose, and I had no answers. I hardly even remembered walking up the sidewalk I was so distracted.

I wonder what made this day different. There was nothing about my daily routine that had changed. However, I wasn’t in a hurry. I wasn’t worried, and I didn’t grumble and complain.

In fact, this May morning my heart was filled with praise and thanksgiving. The song on the radio had echoed in my ears, “Though I cannot see, I still believe in Your faithfulness, in Your truth and in Your holy word.” The words had confirmed my decision to trust God no matter what happened in my life, even though I could not see the reason.

Then I knew why I had found the egg. It truly was a treasure. Even though I could not see the egg, it had been there all the time, just like God’s blessings are. And just like the egg, when the time is right new life will spring forth and God’s blessings will be revealed.

The treasure I found under the tree will be a reminder to me that God is faithful to prepare and provide what I need, when I need it, and I will most likely see it on a day when my heart is filled with praise and thanksgiving.


May 2006 S. Hunt All Rights Reserved