"This one has sparkles!"

“No more treasures, love, we need to get home.”

The baby would be hungry soon and the stroller was getting heavy with each rock, stick, and wrapper she added to the bottom. We were on a treasure walk, a walk to collect every little thing that she spotted through her magnifying glass on our trip around the block. At each tree she bent way down to search through the dirt for something valuable. To me, we were collecting rocks, and our ten minute walk was starting to feel like an hour. So, “No more treasures, love, we need to get home.”

“But look Mommy, this one is smooth,” as she held it up for me to examine. “And this one has little sparkles,” she said holding her magnifying glass real close. I’m sure I rolled my eyes because to me we were collecting dirty rocks that would take up room in our house. “But look Mommy!” she insisted. So I did; I bent down to look through the magnifying glass, and sure enough the dirty rock had little, glittery sparkles.

As my eyes began to see the sparkles, so did my heart. Instead of collecting the dirty rocks to fill the stroller, I saw the beautiful imagination of my daughter on a treasure hunt; I saw the beautiful day we had been given so that we could be outside. And I started to realize how often I miss the treasure in my ordinary and sometimes messy life. I realized that sometimes I focus too much on the dirt to see the sparkles not only in the little moments in life but also in my sleep deprived, guilt ridden, worry wart self.

So maybe you find yourself like me, walking through the house noticing piles of clothes and crumbs under the coffee table, and you look up to see yourself in the mirror, unshowered, a little stinky, wearing the same pants you wore yesterday (and maybe the day before). Get out your magnifying glass. Notice instead your three year old singing Jesus loves me to her new baby brother; notice that even though the laundry is still out, it DID get folded today; notice the doll house furniture all over the floor and remember that you took time to play pretend with your daughter. And then look up and see yourself as your heavenly Father sees you; precious, sparkly, a chosen child who will equip you for each dirty day, give you super natural energy, give you unbelievable patience. Take a moment to notice the sparkles in the dirty rocks.