November 2009 Linn County Leader Column – “Hidden Treasures”

For the past ten months, I’ve taken a breather from writing this column to focus more on the creative side of things (stories, an autobiography, a tech column for the non-geeks out there, etc.); it’s been a fascinating journey of discovering how God has blessed me throughout my life…even when those blessings almost seemed to be the exact opposite.

So now, after a few “brief” messages, this column resumes with hopefully more humor; more reminiscing; and a renewed sense of the call that has been placed in my life: to use the gifts that have been given to me and give something back to others.

The casual reader might ask, “What do you mean, give something back? I like my life just the way it is and I like my stuff.” Folks, that’s what is so wrong with the world we live in today; we are more concerned about getting and taking and hoarding then with giving and sharing and emptying. Our lives have taken on a “pack rat mentality” where we have forgotten how to be blessed by being a blessing!

If we have two or three of something, why not give them away and just keep one? Or better yet, why not give away those things sitting up in your attic or out in your storage shed that you haven’t used in years? Senate Bill 40 in Brookfield would put them to good use, and perhaps it would be a true blessing to someone else’s life. The old saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” That very thing you think is no good could change a person’s life.

And, we can take and ponder this a step further…and realize the hidden treasure that we all have within us; the thing that we don’t like to bring out and share except in those moments when we let our guards down and our true selves come out, and people see the “real” you. That, my friends, is our souls.

When we bare it all (figuratively, not literally) to those around us, they see those gems that were gifted to us by our Creator above; our hopes for a better tomorrow for our families and loved ones; our desires to make a difference in this world; our dreams for a world that has gone astray and needs help, etc.

Folks, we all have those within us; the question that we need to ask ourselves is, “What are we willing to do to give something back? Could it be a complete lifestyle change? Could it be more giving instead of more getting?”

So, ruminate on those for a while; there may be some pretty tough answers that follow. And when the answers do come, don’t think about them…just DO them. Share your treasures no matter what the cost, and you’ll be amazed at what happens in your life.

Until next time, may God bless you and yours richly!

Richard Davis is pastor of the North Linn County Charge, consisting of Bear Branch, Pleasant Grove, and New Life UMC’s. His column will be appearing monthly in the Linn County Leader. You may reach him via his blog at http://sliceofhome.wordpress.com or by e-mail at sliceofhome@gmail.com

Another Update

Prayerfully, my first column after the long hiatus will be out in tomorrow’s Linn County Leader. I turned it in a bit ago after some proofing.

Wow. Been a while since I wrote in this paper. Wish I had more than just 500 words. LOL.  

Coming Soon…

The Lord has been working on me these past several months about my writing muse…and how I have neglected this gift from Him for so long.

I truly and deeply feel that it goes beyond a talent to something else…something that is such a blessing which can reach out and touch many, many people with God’s love and spiritual encouragement. I am humbled whenever the thoughts that I put to pen and paper change a person’s life and makes them strive for a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Christ. Wow.

It really puts your life into perspective and makes the question, “Lord, what am i here for?” a little easier to answer.

2009 was going to be the year when I started, and finished, my autobiography: a sordid tale of 16 years of drug and alcohol abuse interspersed with sadness, bitterness, and a life-changing encounter with our living God in Christ Jesus. Well, I have an outline and a path on which I intend to travel on…but for the time being, it is being put on the back burners while I concentrate more on re-imagining something I thought was buried and forgotten…my monthly column in the local newspaper: Slice of Home, Slice of Life.

My friends, I intend on restarting this column in the next month or so, God willing (and the paper’s blessing!) I keep feeling the Holy Spirit prompt me to delve into this again, in the hopes that somewhere “out there” is someone who needs to hear about Christ through our local media. It may be a crazy thought…yet, somehow, I know it will work.

I will keep everyone posted! God’s blessings on you and yours!