Hidden Treasures

In one of the Spring morning prayers from Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim, Fr. Edward Hays includes this line: “May I find the countless hidden treasures that you have scattered throughout this day.”

Thinking of each day as a treasure hunt prepared by God may seem unusual, but in a way, the psalms encourage this attitude. For example, Psalm 67 says, “The earth has yielded its fruits; God, our God, has blessed us.” Psalm 145 notes, “You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” Psalm 112 observes, “Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever.” Indeed, the treasures God provides don’t seem to be hidden at all!

Nonetheless, often we do not have the vision to see some of the treasures scattered throughout our day. As J. R. R. Tolkien said in The Lord of the Rings, “All that is gold does not glitter.” People who quietly and competently go about doing their jobs do not glitter; does it occur to us to treasure them? When we are grumbling about the need to rake leaves, can we treasure the oxygen, fruit, and shade that trees provide? When people annoy us, can we treasure them for teaching us patience?

One way to sharpen our eyes to the hidden treasures scattered throughout our day is to perform an examen at night. When we make it a practice to reflect on a series of questions at the end of the day, such as, “How was Christ present to me today? What was I most and least grateful for today? How did God speak to me today?” then we are more likely to discover treasures that we overlooked because we didn’t notice them or because they were disguised as challenges.

Finally, as you go about your daily treasure hunt, don’t forget to peek into the most overlooked place of all: within yourself. It may be God’s favorite hiding place, because most people seldom think to look there! Look within and you are likely to find an undiscovered wealth of fortitude, courage, creativity, and resilience—enough for yourself, with plenty to share. You will also find God’s most precious gift of all there—Christ who dwells within us. We have been blessed with great hidden treasure, indeed!