Hidden Treasure
Driving down an old dirt road, something I see catches my eye…
I stop to investigate, and there I see a broken vessel and so I sigh…
Weathered by dirt and years of old paint, broken furniture full of decay
I’ll pick it up, take it home, since no one wants it anyway
Hum, says I… picking up this old piece,
I think to myself, well, wonders never cease…
Stripping away years of white paint, lacquer, varnish, dirt and mold
A treasure I see, as I behold; oak in its solid state
Sanding and stripping the wood I find…
What beauty lies beneath…?
Taking it to its original grain…no more covering with paint, no more awful stain…
Years of use, the memories of life, it must contain…
Stories of lives, silent, remain, buried within this old chest…
Thought your days were finally done, but no, it was just a test…
Resting awhile but nothing was won…
The journey’s not over it’s just begun…
Taken the old and made brand new
I still have a place in this world for you!
Don’t think for one minute your life is through…
Just because someone gets rid of you…
What treasure we miss, when passing some by
With one look closer you may find a surprise…
Be willing to invest in someone disguised…
You’ll miss God’s mercy if you are unwise…
He empties the vessel to start something new…
Looks past all the layers, caked inside of you…
Ripping and stripping with each swipe of His hand
The carpenter Jesus always understands…
You may be old and thrown away, but God has sent
His carpenter, for you, today…
A treasure more precious than rubies or gold…
Is seen underneath all that dirt and mold…
A vessel of honor you’re called to be…
As the old is removed, and your story is told;
Even if you’re left, beside an old dusty road!
By Marla Shaw O’Neill ©September 3, 2015
