The Hidden Treasure

I've found that after a little over two years of living in this area that I'm just beginning to scratch the surface of the character of this place. Take Bramwell, WV for example. Until recently, this was simply a nearby, but obscure place, which apparently thrived during the early coal boom in West Virginia. Bramwell is said to have the most millionaires per capita of any town in the country in the late 1800s (see http://www.bramwellwv.com/history.html) . I visited the town for a home tour this past weekend with my wife and mother-in-law. These houses were incredible. One house, for example, was made of nearly all imported materials and built almost  completely with imported labor. It's mind boggling to think about how much money these people had.

And yet, so many have no idea it's there now. It's easy to see how that happens. We get so caught up in what is on the surface. We look around town and focus on the run-down buildings and what we may think are lifeless streets. We focus on the stores which are out of business, or stores we wish would come to town. We choose to see the town as, if not dead, dying. And truly, an old coal town, removed from prominence, can be a depressing sight to behold. For me, Bramwell came close to remaining another sad sight.  If no one had told me about Bramwell and its claim to fame, then I never would have known. Bramwell could very easily have remained obscure, cradled in the Bluestone River. A hidden treasure.

I get caught up in the lack sometimes. I look at life and get caught up in what isn't there. I long for things which always seem out of reach. It's hard not to long for the splendor and prominence, which may seem like only a whisper now. But, just as I now see Bramwell as a hidden treasure, I think this season offers us a hidden treasure if we are willing to dig for it. It's the hidden treasure of peace.

Take some time to read Isaiah 9, especially the opening verses. All I've read and listened to about this chapter points to Zebulun and Naphtali as being depressing places. All they knew was hardship. When Israel would be invaded, most invaders would come from the North, coming through Zebulun and Naphtali first. They took the brunt of the invasion. Also, any invaders who were defeated would retreat back the same way, wreaking havoc as they went. If you lived in either of these places you probably longed to be somewhere else. But Isaiah 9 also says that there will be no more gloom for these places. There will be a great light which will bring them out of the darkness. The light will be known as, among other titles, the Prince of Peace.

We know the Prince of Peace as Jesus. As awful as life was in the Northern parts of Israel at this time, Jesus would bring the longed-for peace. As dark as the world seemed, Jesus would be the light that pushed the darkness aside.

Maybe it comes from being uber-introverted, but I find that when I walk into an extremely busy season in my life, and I don't take time to be still, I get unsettled, restless. When I focus too much on my Christmas season itinerary I quickly get worn down. I need peace.

Sometimes, just like Bramwell, WV, peace is a hidden treasure that I may need to search for. Sometimes I need to force myself to stop, and read about how Jesus would bring peace and light to the ravaged and dark places (or how about lives?) of the world. Sometimes I need to make myself be still, and get peace by being in God's presence. I certainly don't find it by getting busier and busier. Searching for the deep, hidden treasure takes time and conscious effort. But, I'm trusting that Jesus has brought peace and offers it to me. I just need to stop and look for it sometimes.