My friend loves to thrift shop. And to her credit she finds some of the most amazing things for the most amazing prices! Not too long ago she showed me this designer bag that she picked up for about twenty bucks from a local thrift store. The real deal would easily be worth hundreds of dollars. Looking at the outside of the bag it looked like a designer bag. All the signatures of that designer appeared to be in place. But, I’ve been tricked before. The real tell? It was the label on the inside of the bag. The leather label stitched perfectly inside and carefully embossed with the brand name and the following note from its maker…”This is a _____ bag. It was handcrafted from the finest materials. Its superior craftsmanship and attention to detail reflect our commitment to enduring quality.”

As I looked at that label I had a thought. What makes us authentic? We can wear designer clothes and shoes, dye away the gray, every hair in place and look picture perfect. We can go to church every week, carry our Bible everywhere and utter ‘God bless you’ to every one we see. Does that make us authentic? We’ve been fooled before, haven’t we? Maybe we’ve fooled some ourselves, along the way.

There’s no fooling when someone gets a good look inside. No way can we be perfect or live up to the expectations of others, even worse, our own demands. But we can be real. Real, authentic people own their mistakes and shortcomings. No excuses. Authentic believers know they are loved by God and try to love others as much as others will allow. Some days may be better than others but on those not so good days they don’t fake it. They admit they are struggling and accept help when they need it.

Inside, I want to be loved and treasured, not for who I can pretend to be, but for who I really am. Flaws and all. I’m willing to bet that you are as well. The good news is that the King of the Universe, our Creator, breathed life into us. Our Maker left His mark. If you look closely you’ll see it. It reads, “This is My daughter. She was handcrafted from the finest materials. The superior craftsmanship and attention to detail reflect Our commitment to enduring quality.”  His mark of authenticity is the only one that really counts. Be who He made you to be!

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”  ~ Psalm 139:14 (NKJV)

I am fascinated by royalty. What they wear. How they act. How they seem to not only have it all, but, have it all together. They often seem so graceful and polished. So not like my every day life! When Diana married Prince Charles and became Princess Di I watched every moment of the televised wedding and dreamed of someday becoming a princess.

When Charles & Diana’s son, Prince William, married Kate I savored every moment, this time thinking, I believe Diana would be very proud of his choice. Elegant, graceful & kind, Kate seems to be exactly the right choice to fill those beautiful high heels of Queen someday.

Later I read about Prince Harry’s relationship with his then girlfriend, Meghan, becoming serious enough that normal castle visitation protocol had been waived for her because she spent so much time there. No security checks. No waiting outside the gates until she’d been cleared to enter through the front of the castle. The guards just waved her in and she could go wherever she wanted. No longer considered a guest she was considered family. She was welcome to move about the castle freely.

When I was young my dad called me his princess. Still today Dad affectionately calls me ‘Princess’ and I smile every time. It warms my heart. It reminds me that I am a treasure to him and that I have access to his heart and home. And I am welcome.

Not all of us have had that kind of relationship with our father. But our Heavenly Father, the King, welcomes us to be His daughters and sons. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” So when we ask Jesus to become the Lord of our life He opens the door and gives us complete access to Him. We’re waived through security. We can sit outside the gate and wait. Or we can sing and dance before Him in the throne room. We can make hot cocoa and sit by the fire or stay up late at the kitchen table and chat about our day and make plans for the next.  In the heart of the Kings’ Castle we can enter, because, through Jesus, we are family. Because we are treasured by the King ~ we belong ~ and we are free to move about the castle.

The gentle breeze makes the heat from the sun perfectly enjoyable. Watching the waves make their way to the shore, I notice some are small ripples and others are giant cresting waves that you would definitely have to jump up to get over or, perhaps, ride in on a board. Regardless of size, each one makes its way to shore, carrying pieces of whatever its picked up in its path. Seaweed. Shells. Sand. Trash. Some deposited and left on the beach. Some float back out and are picked up by the ebb of the tide to return to the ocean. Maybe to show up on some other shore. A reminder that we’re all on a journey. Some make a huge splash while others roll in slowly. Quietly. Each of us bringing things with us that we’ve picked up along the way – both good and bad. Destined for the shore. Eventually we all arrive at our destination. Carried, at least part of the way, by others’ waves. And carrying some along in our wave as well.

I smell the faint scent of coconut oil from sunscreen and a hint of peanut butter from the sandwiches a nearby group of moms are doling out to their kids. The air is fresh with a slight hint of saltiness in it.  I hear the giggles of happy kids playing in the sand and seagulls flying nearby. The occasional boat motoring by just off shore. And music playing from someone’s radio in the distance.

This…is what peace is for me. Where I find quiet rest for my soul. I know the whole world is still rolling in like those giant waves. But today, for me, I feel like a tiny little ripple just taking its time washing up over the cool, wet sand. Unwinding. Thinking. Meditating. Marveling at God’s incredible handiwork. And thankful for moments of rest like these.

Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.”

Almost every day I drive through this same intersection. But on one particular day, while I was waiting for the light to change, I glanced at a thrift shop on the corner. Nothing unusual. I’ve passed by it hundreds of times. Every day someone carries out used furniture, gadgets, wheel covers and a variety of things hoping to catch my attention and entice me to stop and look. What caught my eye as I waited for the light to change was a piece of white picket fence propped up at the corner of the lot, an old weathered flower garland woven thru the wooden slats, with an equally weather-beaten sign that read “Thrift Store – Open Daily – Treasures Inside”. From the outside a hodgepodge of what some might consider junk. Things the original owner no longer considered of value. But my curiosity was peaked! What was inside? Could it be something I’d always hoped I’d find? Treasure?

Treasure can be a thing. A quantity of precious metals, gems, or other valuables according to Webster. But its also an action. To keep carefully. To cherish or hold dear. To value greatly…(also Webster). The remainder of my drive that day I thought about how so often we can look at someone and make a snap judgement on their worth by what we initially see. How they dress. How they behave. How they speak. The true treasure of a person is what’s inside. When we take time to open the door. Step inside. Look for the value in their heart. THAT’S the true treasure. And chances are good that when we take the time to discover the treasure inside someone, they will discover the treasure inside of us.

Luke 2:19 (NIV)…’Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.’