Searching For Something?

 

Before Al and I got married, we decided to have our wedding rings designed by a friend of my family who owned a jewelry shop. He melted down the gold from jewelry we no longer used, then cast the rings from wax molds.

 Instead of a diamond for my ring, he used a cubic zirconia—more affordable at that time in our lives. Despite being delighted with the ring, I was a little reluctant to show it to my maternal grandfather who appreciated quality gem stones. Surely he would know that it wasn’t a real diamond.

When the occasion came for him to meet Al, Grandpa Fred asked to see my ring,  popping his trusty magnifier into his eye. After examining it closely, he handed it back without a comment! No fooling him!

 Grandpa was a collector of stones as well as an amateur jeweler. He knew how to facet rough gem stones, transforming them into beautiful jewels for rings and other jewelry. Grandpa even owned a share in a now defunct gold mine during the mid-1900’s and enjoyed going on rock hunting expeditions.

My mom and dad picked up the rock-hunting hobby from him. It was the perfect hobby for a large family. We enjoyed camping, hiking and being outdoors along with the lure of finding a special stone, bottle or other treasure.

Years after Grandpa Fred passed away, my brother Jim asked if I remembered the glass cabinet filled with unique specimens in his living room. Jim wondered what had happened to the large gold nugget displayed inside that case.

Gold nugget? No one knew of its whereabouts or that of the glass cabinet, even though most of the family’s collection had been passed down to Jim.

I only had a few mementos: Grandpa’s name badge from the East Bay Mineral Society of which he was a member; a geode, cut and polished and filled with sparkling quartz crystals inside; and one lone quartz crystal about 2 inches long with a plaster base that kept it upright.

 Suddenly the idea struck me that the base was thick enough to contain the nugget if Grandpa had wanted to hide it. That was a possibility anyway. Grandpa Fred might have done such a thing.

With great excitement and anticipation, I proceeded to chip away at the plaster base with an ice pick. Before long, there was a pile of plaster on the table along with the quartz crystal. That was all! No nugget! How disappointing!

We humans seem to share an inner desire to find something that is just beyond our grasp, don’t we? Whether it is a buried treasure, the winning lottery ticket, the “fountain of youth”… we are driven to keep searching to find that thing we think will make us happy. 

Will these things really lead to an abundant, overflowing life? My friend JoAnn, recently shared about a member of her church who is dying from a terminal illness.

JoAnn’s husband, Joe, has been going to visit the man, desiring to encourage and support him during his final days.  Contentment, peace and joy emanate through him despite his debilitating disease. Joe claims to be the one who ends up being encouraged after each visit!

On one occasion, Jesus told the crowd which had gathered around him that his purpose in coming to earth was that “they might have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) The Pharisees who were listening were shocked when he prefaced that statement by saying that he was the ‘gate’ to the sheep fold and if anyone tried to get in by another way, that person was a thief or a robber, coming to steal the sheep:

 “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.” (John 10: 9) By returning to God, repenting of our sins and receiving the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, we will find our deepest desires satisfied and can say with King David:

“Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely, I have a delightful inheritance.” (Psalm 16: 5-6 NIV)

“You have made known to me the path of life, you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11 NIV)