Last week, three of my besties and I spent seven glorious days together in Florida, close to the Treasure Coast. It is aptly named because of the many Spanish galleons that shipwrecked along the coast, spilling their gold and silver into the Atlantic Ocean. Treasure hunters have been finding lost treasures on the beaches of the Treasure Coast for decades. We had the privilege of running into a bona fide treasure hunter during our visit.
He was coming up from the beach, carrying a metal detector and large scooper, so we asked him if he found anything. He said, “I didn’t even start looking—the sand is too packed here.”
We asked, “What’s the best thing you’ve found?”
We were a little surprised when he answered, “A Spanish coin from the 1500’s.” What?! That’s when the conversation really got moving and we learned that he is, indeed, a real treasure hunter (and a retired sheriff). He has authored six books on treasure hunting and is called “The Legend.” He showed us pictures of the many cool treasures he has found. We had a great talk with him and learned all kinds of things, including where to find the beaches with free parking and the best snorkeling. And, of course, we found the real “treasure,” treasure hunter, Terry Shannon.
As I reflected on our week in the Florida sun, and all the experiences we shared, I realized we had found other treasure too. Our treasures weren’t Spanish coins, belt buckles, or silver bracelets. They were meeting people, relaxing in the warm sun, seeing a rocket launch, laughing (a lot), eating great food, and doing it all together. The most precious treasure we found was building the relationships we have with each other. And if you know any of us, you know we formed new relationships with everyone we met.
Life is all about relationships. Just ask my children—they heard that so many times growing up, if you say, “Life is all about…”, they will respond, “relationships.” They may do it with a bit of a groan (I never let an opportunity to say it pass by). The Bible is quite clear on this point. Matthew 6:19-20 (ESV) says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth or rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Treasure in heaven—the things that will last forever.
It’s cool that “The Legend” has scrapbooks filled with gold and silver coins. And I’m sure it’s a thrill to find something like that in the sand. But they won’t last. The time spent together, the encouragement, the shared laughter and a few tears, the talks about spiritual things, the prayers, challenging each other in what is biblical and what is not, even protecting each other from all the creepy crawlies on a jungle hike—these are the things that will last forever, treasure in heaven.
Lisa J Radcliff ~ Finding Freedom from the Past 