journey onWord with us

This past weekend we drove to visit my oldest son at college in Virginia.  It was so good to be with him again.  i miss him so deeply.  It is absolutely the best experience in the world to see him finding himself and setting his feet firmly where he is and walking with God as he walks in the direction of his own life.  And it is absolutely the hardest thing in the world, all at the same time.  Did i mention that i miss him?

As we began making our way back home Sunday morning, winding our way through the hills and back roads of central Virginia, we passed what appeared to be an amazing antique store.  i happen to be a statistical anomaly — a guy who likes to shop – and antique shops are among my favorite kind of places to peruse (and purchase).  i smiled and stared as we passed the store, longing for it to be open and for the time to stop and wander through its wares.  As i continued down the road, with the image of the shop’s front porch still fresh, an odd prompt entered my mind.  What could an amazing antique shop reveal about the nature of God?  i know what you’re thinking, but i promise you that’s what i was thinking.

It didn’t take long to hear the whisper of an answer, and oh what fun it was to sit with it for a while.  i began to think of “value.”  The “value” of things some would see as trash in the eyes of the one who considers it to be treasure.  i began to think about what kind of things affected an item’s “value.”  The very first answer that popped into my head … who it belonged to.  You’ve no doubt heard story after story of the most random and ordinary things fetching astronomical amounts of money at auction because of who touched, used or owned them.  An inkwell or cast iron match holder might figure to cost you far south of a single Benjamin in an antique store.  But that very same item, if proven to be used by or come from the home of Mr. Franklin, would likely command multiple to multitudinous Benjamin’s.

There are many things that factor into an item’s value, but it could not be argued that chief among them is who that item belonged to.  Likewise, this is true of our own value.  Although, with ours, i would confidently say that it has EVERYTHING to do with Who we belong to.  We were created in the very image of the One who created everything (Gen. 1:27).  We are His child (Gal. 3:26).  He calls us friend (John 15:15).  Jesus left the Father to rescue and redeem us (John 6:38-39).  Read those truths again.  Sit with them.  Let them settle into the seat of your soul.

If you are locked in, or losing, a battle with voices that are screaming, “Not worthy!” hear His still, small voice today.

“You belong to me.  You are my beloved.”