God’s Treasure Box

Introduction

We are born into a world full of anxieties and adversities. When my children were small, life could be quite taxing, and they sometimes got on my every nerve. We experienced many anxious moments, as I am sure you have experienced with your children as well—or in life in general. For example, medical appointments often were a cause for anxiety, which included outbursts of crying and pleading. Now, some of this anxiety was a result of remembering past experiences or just from the fear of the unknown. After a morning of preparation to get to the doctor’s office and, of course, elevated stress levels for both my child and me, we usually made it through the visit without too many emotional scars. It never failed, however, that, once the examination and any tests were complete, a giddy smile would appear upon my child’s face. It was a custom that, before we left the office, the doctor or staff member would escort the little patient to a special place that had been set apart from all those bad experiences It was to be a magical moment. Every child who entered this area knew there was a treasure box waiting for him or her, and it was filled with all kinds of goodies. The child always received a colouring book along with his or her choice of a prize from the treasure box. Somehow, all that worry, all that anxiety just melted away in that single moment.

In the following pages, we will discover ways you can release your stress and equip yourself for such a moment of grace just as my children did. If we allow ourselves to learn and deal with adversities with an open mind, God has promised He will turn those obstacles we are experiencing into steppingstones for growth. God longs to do new and exciting things in our lives. He is looking for us as individuals to trust Him. He is looking for us to allow Him to work and not limit Him with our narrow ways of thinking. I am persuaded that, if we give Him our undivided attention, one day we’ll look back at what we thought to be the worst of times of our lives and realize, with understanding, that God worked even through those adversities to purify and perfect us. He is preparing us for good things ahead and wants to mould us for a life of clear destiny.

Keep moving forward. The struggles that you are facing are giving you strength for tomorrow. God allows us to enter into pressures to get us out of our routines and safety zones so He can lead us into areas of growth in Him. Follow on with faith to accomplish what He has for your life. Use the information and encouragement in the following pages, and begin your very own faith journey!