“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” Isaiah 55:6

A Diamond in the…Rug?

I hate losing things; it’s frustrating, maddening, and annoying, especially when the lost item cost a pretty penny. One evening, I got ready to take off my diamond stud earrings, and realized, wait, there’s only one! Oh, no! My heart sank as I realized it could be absolutely anywhere.

Granted, I didn’t pay top dollar for these earrings, but still, they had sentimental value. Years ago, we knew “a guy” (we called him Diamond Dan—true story!), who could get “rocks” at a reasonable price. I’m not sure of the pedigree of these stones, but they were pretty nice, and I was sick at the thought of losing one.

So began the search, as I tried to retrace my steps of the day. Oh my goodness, I’d been all over the house, the property, a one mile walk down the road, and all points in between. It seemed impossible.

Enlisting the help of my husband, he suggested waiting till dark, getting out the high-powered flashlights and combing the area for any sign of a glimmer. An ingenious idea, but unfortunately, to no avail.

Finally, a day later, a clue materialized; while on my hands and knees, combing through the bedroom carpet, I found the tiny back of the earring! Surely the diamond wasn’t far behind. But sadly, no. The diligent search continued.

One morning, my husband and I prayed, “Dear Lord, we know it’s a trivial thing in the scheme of the world, but please help us find the earring!” Later in the day, I walked out into the garage and out back to water some tulips. When finished, I stood for a while inside the garage door, and just happened to look down at the rug—w-h-a-t?! Blinking (and winking) up at me was the sought-after diamond earring.

“I can’t believe it!” I hollered, “I found my earring!” Well, yippee dogs. Unbelievable. I’d walked over that rug numerous times in the epic search. “Lord,” I prayed, “You really have a sense of humor, don’t You?

I know that I know that I know, I’d searched the garage from top to bottom—only the Lord could have opened my eyes. I just kept thinking of the verses, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6).  And, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

In my daily life, was I seeking the Lord with as much diligence as I showed while looking for my long-lost diamond? Hmm…there’s always room for improvement, that’s for sure.

Dear Jesus, You are worth far more than jewels or any sparkling bauble this world has to offer. Help us, Your daughters, apply ourselves to seek You with gusto and diligence. Thank You for Your patience with us as we learn what is truly of eternal value. Amen.