The treasure I've always had, but still missed.

   Last Wednesday I had a chance to go to a Good News Club where I had been the missionary of the year. It was their last day before school let out, so prizes were awarded and parents invited for supper and a presentation from their children afterward. The amazing woman who runs the club invited me to tell the story for the evening, and she said, “the kids would like to give you their missionary offering in person.” I thought alright, she must want to hand me a check for the money the kids raised. But, this lady being who she is, she had a very different idea.

   The “story” that I told was about how God views missionaries, that is, all his children who tell others about Jesus. I borrowed a clay pot from my friend Mrs. Martha to go along with a verse in 2 Corinthians 4, which says “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” God's children are very dull sometimes; not always looking like the “stars in the universe” or “light to everyone” that they are called in Philippians 2 and Matthew 5. Paul goes on to admit in 2 Corinthians that he and his fellow Christians were “hard-pressed,” though they were not crushed; “perplexed, but not in despair... struck down; but not destroyed.” Even though these Christians were nobody special and they carried the death of Jesus in their bodies, the “life of Jesus [was] also revealed” through them. That verse hopped off the page when I read it and it planted itself in my mind. I have had nothing to give the Christian Youth in Action teens for Biblical encouragement lately. I have really had nothing for myself from God's word. I have felt beaten down. But he says he has a treasure that he's chosen to store within me, so it doesn't matter how dull or beaten-down I am; there is still something for me to give.

   I ended my talk that night with a short summary of Philip meeting the Ethiopian official and sharing the “treasure” with him by explaining Isaiah 53. Then I gave a challenge to the kids to keep their eyes open for opportunities to share that treasure, and I sat down to enjoy the rest of the night. To my surprise, when I was called up to receive the students' missionary offering, I had to first close my eyes and turn around while they got things ready. When I was instructed to turn around and hold out my hands, I saw a line of kids each with dollar bills in their hands. They took turns handing me five-dollar stacks as the leaders tried to keep up count. Overall, they had raised almost $200 for me over the school year. Many of the kids had given prize money they'd received for learning verses or other activities at club. One girl said she'd emptied her entire piggy bank of savings – and she'd only been attending club for a few months out of the year; she'd only met me once when I came to visit; and had only heard a few things about my ministry from the leaders at club. None of them really knew me; they were so excited to see me and give me what God had given to them. I was completely overwhelmed.

   After staying for supper and fellowship, I drove home, and cried the entire way back. I could barely see the road sometimes through the tears. God could have done anything he wanted to do to take care of me – a couple of the summer missionaries and I discussed the odds of God dropping money into their houses to meet their financial needs. But I never expected God to use a group of children (many of whom don't come from Christian homes), and to put it in their minds to give so generously. Honestly, I never expected God to even supply. I asked myself again and again on my drive home, if these kids can give out of the little they have, and give so freely, why can't I turn around and give, without holding on so tightly to every treasure God gives me? Obviously, his supply is abundant.

   So in short, that challenge I gave at Good News Club was for me. How can I keep my eyes closed to all the wonderful things God has given me? How can I ignore his blessings and his insistent “Go”? I have this treasure in my hard-pressed “jar of clay” to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from me, never from me.

“Who is equal to such a task? Confidence is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant.” 
– 2 Corinthians 2-3.