These Treasures of Mine
April 2012
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. Eph. 1:18-19
He had awaited this moment for many months. That day, several years ago now, my son opened his palm to reveal a tiny, white, enamel tooth that had just fallen out. The corners of his mouth curled upward into an enthusiastic mold that revealed the scruffy and crooked five-year-old grin he’d been waiting for. Jackson had wiggled that tooth for months, and finally, it had come out.
We’d long filled his mind with “once-upon-a time” tales centered around a winged tooth fairy who would visit him on this particular night. He could barely stand the wait and dashed into bed early with his beloved tooth tucked perfectly under his pillow. He couldn’t close his eyes for the longest time that night. Sleep evaded him; fluttering just above his wide-open eyes like a maddening house fly that cannot be caught. The suspense of each passing minute mounted and compelled Jackson to keep peering under his meticulously fluffed pillow to see if anything miraculous was happening.
11:56pm – That tooth is still here?
11:59pm – Arghh. Still here.
12:03am – It’s “tomorrow”. That tooth should be gone now!
Finally . . . finally. . . he dosed and settled into a nice sleep.
It was 3am when the 6’3’”, 250 lb “tooth fairy” – known around here as “Dad” – made his way up the stairs and into our son’s room. He gently exchanged the tooth with a surprise and came back to bed.
The next morning, the burst of the sun through the partially open window drapes awakened Jackson around 7am. From our bedroom below, we could hear the frantic thudding of an excited boy who’d just discovered his treasure. He enthusiastically called my name at the moment of discovery and came scampering down the stairs in a hurry to show me his loot. One palm revealed a package of gummy bears (his favorite snack) and the other uncurled to reveal a crumpled yet crisp five dollar bill.
I was speechless.
Back when I was losing teeth, 25 cents was something to celebrate.
FIVE DOLLARS? Is this what teeth were going for these days? I shot my husband “the eye” while calculating how broke we would be if we continued giving this extraordinary sum for every tooth our boys lost in the future. Unaware of my tangled emotions, Jackson scampered out of the room to show his brother what he’d gotten.
Jerry knew what I was thinking but he smirked and assured me that I ought not worry. “Priscilla, remember how last month was Jackson’s 5th birthday, right?” he said. And remember all those family members who celebrated by bringing him birthday cards with $5 bills in them? Well, the $5 the tooth fairy brought last night was already his. I just nabbed it from the drawer where we kept his birthday gifts.”
I exhaled and celebrated my husband’s astute financial stewardship. Then I thought about my son who was celebrating his gift as if it had only just come into his possession.
This treasure had been his all along.
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Paul longed for the believers from the church at Ephesus to come to a full understanding of the spiritual treasure they already possessed. He dug into the drawer into which this abundant inheritance they’d been given at salvation had been unknowingly stored and encouraged them to take a closer look:
. . .redemption through His blood. .
. . .forgiveness of sins . . .
. . .riches of grace . . .
. . .wisdom and insight . . .
. . .a lavish inheritance . . .
. . .the Holy Spirit of Promise. . .
. . .the hope of His calling. . .
. . .the riches of His glory. . .
. . .surpassing greatness of His power. . .
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know…,” Paul exclaims.
Friend, I pray that you will know, and keep on knowing, until the treasures which the Father has so graciously given you will be realized in your life. God forbid we tuck them in a drawer and hide them away, never fully utilizing the inheritance that became ours at the time of our adoption. So, by His Spirit, open your eyes and cash in on His promises . . . . today and everyday.
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