Finding Value

Tyson and Sarah arm wrestling on the old trunk on the day of their engagement. 

2 Cor. 4:7 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

 

    Before Todd and I were even married, I acquired an old steamer trunk from some friends rummage sale.  The kind that stands upright, and has drawers and the other side has a place to hang things on these conveniently constructed wooden hangers.  

    The first year or so our marriage, that trunk was our dresser, until some friends came to visit, and gave us an old dresser of theirs. (I still have that one too)

    Later it became my sewing 'dresser' where I stored sewing supplies, and I believe I have always  stored in it, the sheet backdrops I drew and made for Todd's and my wedding that covered up the old ugly furnace in the fellowship hall.

     The thing is very heavy, and has always been a beast to move around.  In my present house, I didn't have room for it, so it's been sitting out in the garage.  I've used it a couple of times for a photography prop, but frankly, it was so heavy I had a hard time moving it around, so it just sat in it's spot on the garage floor.

   A few weeks ago, a friend of mine from SD, came up to Bismarck and we went out for coffee and she was telling me, that she was looking for a really narrow dresser for a small bed room for her daughter.  I thought of the old trunk and invited her to come over and take a look at it to see if it would work, and if it did, she could have it.

   She came and looked at it and said it would work perfect and she insisted she pay something for it, so I finally agreed to take her $50.  I was happy and so was she as we loaded it into her vehicle and she made her way home.

    A couple of days ago I got a text from her saying she wanted to return it to me cause she was feeling guilty cause she only had paid $50 for it, and she said it was worth way more than that.  I assured her it was fine, I was ok with it.  Then she text back that she had done some research on it, and it is worth around  $2000! (Although I doubt mine is worth that much because there is some damage.)   I text back my Wow! and man you got a really good deal then.  She kept saying she wanted to return it, and I said again, it was ok, I'm the one who sold it and didn't realize the value of it.   

   See the reality is, I sold it to her, I no longer own it, it's hers to do with as she pleases, even though I sold it way under it's actual value.  The mistake was mine.  I didn't know the treasure I owned.  I always thought it was cool, but I didn't realize it had value.  

   Then I got to thinking, isn't that how we are so often.  God has put great treasure within us, and we don't know the value of the life we live, and the gifts within us.  We sell ourselves short, for less than we're worth.  It sometimes isn't until someone else points out the value of something, or you take it to an 'expert' you find you've been carrying around treasure and viewing it as junk.

    I know I'm guilty of that so often.  I don't value the gift of God within me, the gift of just being me.  There's lots of reason's why a person gets to that point, but the reality is, I've been wrong when I devalued myself.  That's not how God sees me, nor should I.  In the past few years, I've been changing that very negative view of myself, and taking up God's view.  I'm his child, a valuable treasure to Him.  A pearl of great price.  No that's not being egotistical, quite the contrary, it's being humbled to know that God sees in me something of worth, and it's not me, it's what He put in me.

   My friend finally agreed to just keep the trunk and be happy with her good deal.  I'm not upset in the least, I'm happy to have lightened my load and glad she got a good deal and it's being useful to her. I also learned a great lesson, treasure the gift within for it is of great value!