Precious Gems

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was walking down the street when I suddenly noticed a man sitting in the corner; homeless, battered and bruised. His hair was long and stringy, his clothes filthy and tattered and his sunken cheeks made his face appear old and weary. I don’t typically pay much attention to people I have no feeling for, but for some reason this guy captured every ounce of mine. My legs felt a little shaky as I went in for a closer view. I turned my head as not to gag from the smell of his uncleanliness. Our eyes locked and while we focused on each other, I noticed a gentleness and kindness that I had never experienced. My heart sank and there was a sadness that swept over my entire body for I knew that I didn’t have much to offer this man. For the first time in my life, I wanted to help! The only thing that I could give was way too precious. I placed my hand in my pocket to cling onto my lovely gem. I had carried it with me for a very long time and my beautiful stone was now a part of me. My grip became tighter at the thought that was now spinning through my head. No way could I give this precious stone to a stranger! He whispered, “come”. I released the gem from my grip and to my surprise I pulled it from my pocket. What had come over me? That was my favorite possession…the only thing that ever meant anything to me. As I placed the stone in the old man’s hand I was bombarded with thoughts of all the wrongdoings in my life. I walked away from the old soul with a bittersweet awareness.

Over the next several weeks, my life became less complex. I felt a strange need to ask the people that I had wronged for forgiveness. They were happy to oblige and I was peaceful for the first time in a long time. I was saddened a little with the thought that I had never really let anyone get to close to me. My father abandoned me when I was a little boy and it had left me feeling very alone. I figured that if my own father could up and leave that it was useless to allow anyone into my life. They would just hurt me and would only pretend to love me anyway. I was better alone.

A few years passed and my life was going well. It was pounding rain when I came out of the gym. I couldn’t help but wonder when this weather going to break; It had been pouring for days. I unlocked the door to my car, jumped in, turned on the radio and sped out of the parking lot. I had seventeen dollars burning a hole in my pocket. I was on my way to purchase the new cd that just came out. The store was packed and I hoped that there was still one left to buy. I stepped out onto the wet pavement and to my surprise, I saw the same old man that I had given my gem to!  I stopped, swallowed hard and reached for the handle to get back into my car, but I just couldn’t. I turned around as the rain drenched through my shirt and ran back to where the man was standing. I paused for a moment and reached into my pocket to pull out the seventeen dollars. As I took the money from my pocket I asked, “do you remember me”? The old man hesitantly looked up and with the same gentleness he had shown me before, whispered, “of course I do”. As I placed my hand into his, to dispense the money, he gently held onto it. With his free hand he reached into his own pocket and started digging around. I couldn’t imagine what he was going to pull out. As he pulled his hand from his pocket, I was in utter disbelief. His hand was filled with all kinds of precious gems. Every color and shape imaginable; I was mesmerized by the beauty of it all. He dug around the heap of precious stones and finally pulled one from the collection. It was my gem—the one I gave him. How, after this long, did he remember me and my stone? It was that day that I realized for the first time in my life that someone did love and remember me. So much that he was able to choose me out of a handful of precious gems.

1 John 3:1

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

Matthew 10:30-31 (New Living Translation)

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.