Hello, my friends, I am eager to write to you again. The many other distractions are set aside. My husband is going to a meeting, our dog is napping and I am focused on writing what I have on my heart. 

If you read my last blog, you probably remember that I started with a testimony, which is defined as “a public recounting of a religious conversation or experience.” I started with my most valuable testimony, my salvation experience. I truly hope and pray that God used it to make a positive difference in your life and add to His Kingdom.

For several days I asked the Lord how to move on to my next testimony to share. I remembered so many things I knew I could never write about them all. I certainly needed His help to choose the next one. As different memories of past experiences came to mind, the three that came more frequently pertained to jewelry. It seemed, at first, that focusing on material things would not be the direction the Lord would want me to go. After all, we are the most valuable of His creations that have ever existed on earth, right?

I can hardly wait to tell you how and why I believe He does want me to share these particular experiences next.

This morning as I was still pondering “what next” I heard a song referring to how valuable we are to the Lord. The song is “Gold” by Britt Nicole. I understood that the Lord would use these experiences with material things that I am writing about as another lesson through parables.

 I said, “Another” lesson because in my second book Blue Skies, Butterflies, and Battlegrounds, my poem and narrative “The Sound of Found,” told of an incredible experience I had finding a child’s lost ring. It was nothing short of a miracle! As I remembered that experience, other poems that I have written about jewels came to mind. The best part of these poems is the scripture references that tell what God says about us and jewels. He used precious metals and gemstones as a parable to teach me how valuable “priceless” we are to Him.

So by prayer, frequent reminders, and a song, here I am to tell another story of finding something precious and having the experience of returning it to its rightful owner.

In 2008 I was in a serious car accident. After the Lord brought me through the concussion and more serious injuries, I received treatment from a chiropractor for neck and back pain. Little did I know, at this particular appointment, that the Lord had something extra special for me. Not only for me but a fellow massage therapist.

As usual, I pulled into the parking lot at the Chiropractic clinic. The lot was gravel and the rest of the surrounding area was grass. I opened my car door and of course, as I stepped out, I was looking down. The tiny edge of something shiny caught my eye. It was buried in the hard-packed gravel. My curiosity caused me to use my fingers to dig the rest of this shiny object up. With determination and bare hands, I uncovered a very worn old-looking ring with three different colored stones. I am no expert in deciphering valuable jewelry but I did not think it had much worth. Even after brushing most of the dirt off, it didn’t improve its possibilities of worth. For a fleeting moment, I thought it could be a child’s toy ring. But, according to its size, that couldn’t be the case. Additionally, this ring had to be pretty durable to withstand being crushed underneath car tires and end up buried in gravel. Still, it had been lost and the least I could do was turn it into the receptionist. It was not my place to determine its value.

So I gave the ring to the receptionist and told her where I had found it. Her face lit with excitement and she said, “Wait here.” “ I think I know who this belongs to.” They had a massage therapist working in the clinic and the receptionist left to show her what I had found. The massage therapist was busy with a client so she would have to see it later.

Meanwhile, I was called to the treatment room for my visit with the chiropractor. While I was updating him on my progress, a young woman appeared in the doorway and eagerly asked if I was the person who found the ring. She had something clutched in her hand held tightly to her chest. It was easy to conclude it was the ring that I had found. She proceeded to exclaim, “It is mine! It’s mine!” “You found my ring!”  She was jumping up and down with such joy that I wanted to jump with her! She even did a little happy dance while laughing with joy. After she displayed sheer delight, she collected herself enough to quickly explain that it was her grandmother’s and this ring was the only thing she had that belonged to her! The young woman was honored to be chosen for the ring to be passed to her at her grandmother’s passing.

She had lost it several months prior and had been very distraught and disappointed over the loss of something so precious.  She could never replace it and she was convinced she would never see it again! I could imagine the distress it caused to have lost it.

After hearing the history of this ring, its value grew to insurmountable proportions! I had more insight into her heartache in losing it and my gladness and gratefulness for her increased significantly.  The many agonizing months that had passed and the countless disappointing searches made its recovery even more significant. To see the joy in this woman’s response by having this precious ring returned to her filled the rest of us with joy also. Oh yes, she said it was a Mother’s ring. The different stones represented the birth months of each of her grandmother’s children. She pointed out the stone that represented her parent’s birth month. I was so caught up in the excitement of the moment, I’m not certain which parent she referred to. Father or Mother did not matter. The significance was apparent.

Her focus shifted to how and where I had found this cherished ring. When I told her, it made the recovery even more incredible and her heart filled with increased awe and gratitude. Mine too!

She left us to continue with my appointment but I can honestly say I don’t remember anything about my visit with the doctor other than him expressing his amazement at the ring being found. The Lord had an appointment for me with far greater significance than chiropractic care. I’m sure the doctor would agree.

So I mentioned a lesson in parables. If you look at the lessons I listed in my narrative for “The Sound of Found”, you will see some similarities. 

 #1. The ring symbolizes eternity, endless, never-ending; God’s love for us.

#2. Gold is thought to be the most valuable thing on earth. However, in this case, the gold was so worn and old-looking that it was hard for me to identify it as real gold. To the Lord, we are the most valuable thing that He created. Worth more than gold or any other created thing.

#3. The unlikelihood of the ring ever being found. God does these things to show us the possibilities in Him. All things are possible through Christ if it is His will.

#4. And the sound of rejoicing when something priceless is restored to its rightful owner! Once again, the sound of this woman’s expression of sheer joy reminded me of the angels in Heaven rejoicing when one priceless soul is restored to its rightful owner; our Father in Heaven.

We can take this to another level of our value to the Lord when we look at what He says about precious stones or jewels.

In “Dust to Diamonds”, also in my new book Blue Skies, Butterflies and Battlegrounds, I referenced Malichi 3:17 NKJV “They shall be Mine; says the Lord of hosts,` On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.” And Zechariah 9:16-17 says, “The Lord their God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. For they shall be like the jewels of a crown, Lifted like a banner over His land—For how great is its goodness and how great is its beauty!” And in my poem “The Ballerina’s Dream” I began with “Go ahead, open the box where precious jewels are stored,” (referring to a jewelry box). It tells of my sister’s vision of her being a ballerina in the Lord’s hands. Continuing it tells of the next generation…”My precious jewels.” As I typed these words, I was reminded of the cherished ring being passed to the third generation in the grandmother’s family. How good is that?

I am left in awe of how God uses our appointments, and disappointments, in everyday life with its highs and lows to express His never-ending deep abiding love for us. No matter how old, worn, tattered, dirty, buried, or worthless we might feel or appear, we are priceless to our Creator. And through our Savior, we have been restored to our rightful owner, our Father in Heaven. We are His, like the jewels of a crown, His Crown, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He refines us to reflect the image of His Son as the gold and silversmiths do to precious metals.

I had to pause for a moment to soak in those words. I pray that you received these words in a very personal way also. Soak it in! When (notice I said “When”, not if) we have doubts about His love and our worth to Him, we must renew our minds to what He says. One of my favorite verses of scripture is Romans 12:2 NKJV “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Saturate your mind with His Word. This will change your perspective on every event in your life! All glory to Him for the “lessons” He teaches us through our appointments and disappointments.

I will end with Revelation 4:9-11 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” And I say AMEN!

In my next blog, I will tell of another lost item that had an unexpected outcome but yet, another valuable lesson. I hope you will join me again. Thank you for every moment you spend reading my blogs.

My prayers are with you all,

Reba