Going through my jewelry bag the other day I came across a treasure.  -One silver earring from Kenya.

Back in 2008, my missionary friend sent a package to Jason and I. We were preparing to go Kenya to serve with them at an orphanage.  The package held an envelope with one silver earring. I love earrings and I love silver; and this one was made from a 1954 East African shilling. I looked for its match but couldn't find it.  I decided that my friend must have sent one earring as a sort of deposit to get me excited about the upcoming trip.

The wonderful trip to Kenya came and went.

To my disappointment, Susan hadn't meant to give me one earring.  The whereabouts of its partner remains a mystery.

I loved the earring, but without its match, what use did it have?  It was nothing more than an incomplete set, so it has set in my jewelry bag for almost four years now- amidst a ball of broken necklace chains and tangled beads.  As I rediscovered it the other day, I was consumed with memories from my time in Kenya.

This earring is a reminder of a trip that forever changed me.  It represents a place void of  earthly comforts; but a place where God's presence is strong.  My earring represents hope for those in Kenya and beyond. It reminds me that there will be a time when "my faith shall be sight".  It is a reminder that some day there will be no orphans, no hunger, no sadness....

My treasure doesn't belong in a bag tucked away on a shelf. It is beauty and holds a purpose. Yes, it serves even on its own. And though it resembles a deposit of the glory that is to come, that won't stop me from wearing it now.

This emblem I wear,  once considered to be of little use, now beats in unison with my heart.

I am His.

And He is mine.

My prayer is that I would live a life of faith and love.  And that I would be an instrument that leads others- so they can know God is "theirs" too.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.  Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.  -Proverbs 3:3,4