An Unexpected Treasure

This is the cover of a book that is very special to me. In case you have never read "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett,it is a wonderful children's story about a young girl, Mary, who is suddenly orphaned and alone, angry and bitter. She is taken in by an Uncle who lives in Yorkshire, England and through a series of events is transformed into the sweet and loving child that God designed for her to be. One of the main events is in finding a garden that has been shut up for 10 years (you'll have to read the book to find out why) and has mostly whithered and died from lack of care. But there are some small signs of hope and life left which Mary discovers and with help from a trusted friend, brings the entire garden back to life in its fullest. The transformation of the garden closely parallels the transformation of Mary's life.
When I was about 10yrs. old (the same age as Mary in the book), we were visiting my maternal grandparents one day and I asked if I could go up in their attic to look around. I knew that my Mom had spent a lot of time up there while growing up, and I wanted to see if there was anything up there from her childhood. So I went up and found a few things: an old page tacked on the wall from a Seventeen Magazine from the early 1940's, an old wooden trunk that had been my grandfather's as a young man (which we have in our house today), some photos of ancestors, and a few books. Among these were my Mom's "Little Women" books, some adventure/mystery books belonging to my grandparents that were the turn-of-the-century forerunners of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series,... and this copy of "The Secret Garden". I had never read the book. At the time, I thought the book had belonged to my Mom, but then found out it had been my Grandmother's as a young girl; copy written around 1910. It not only had a beautiful cover, but several color plates and that wonderful musty old book feel and smell; the worn signs of being much loved and read over the years. An unexpected treasure! My Grandma gave me the book and some others and I have treasured it since.
As a young girl, I loved the story for it's secret adventure and that it took place in England which is part of my ancestral heritage. But now, I still love it for the message of hope and joy that it has...life where there was death, hope where there was no hope, love where there was bitterness. It is the story of my life transformed (and being transformed) by my loving Savior Jesus...he sees the potential when no one else can and brings that potential to its full destiny through compassion, tenderness and encouragement. He can take us from the world of death to the world of life. What is hidden and secret to us and others is not hidden from God, he sees everything from beginning to end; he sees the hidden treasure in each of us.
May you too find an unexpected treasure in your spiritual destiny as you know His love and tenderness today. Blessings.

...but just as it is written, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him."...1 Corinthians 2:9