Late one afternoon, after leaving my office, I popped into my favorite downtown vintage/antique/flea market/hodge-podge boutique to see if I could find a special treasure for a special someone…
Lo and behold, as I was browsing the myriad of randomly fabulous findings, my eyes landed upon a dingy old hollow heart necklace. At first glance, it seemed like a rusted old piece of junk. Yet something told me to pick it up, inspect it, and keep an open mind.
As I held this tarnished piece of silver in my hand, turning it over and contemplating its history, I realized this was no piece of worthless junk.
This was a solid heart of silver on a strong silver rope chain.
Why on earth would it be lying in a $5.00 trinket basket begging to be purchased for practically nothing?
In a diligent effort to verify my suspicions, I found a scarf nearby and gently rubbed the silver. With very little effort, the polishing produced a beautiful shiny surface I knew meant it was genuine sterling silver, aka….my kryptonite.
Feeling as though I had won the jewelry jackpot, I stealthily checked out, careful not to mention to the shop owner what a grievous mistake she had made in selling this beautiful piece of art at such a ridiculously low price.
Once home, I spent nearly an hour polishing my special find, revealing a shiny, beautiful, expensive looking piece of jewelry to add to my ever-expanding collection.
Tying this experience to real life, I realized that just because one person does not know the value of a piece and sells it for far less than its genuine worth, does not mean its inherent value is not substantial.
Like my new silver heart, my own human heart has been tarnished, dirty, mistreated, abandoned, and left uncared for. At times, it felt as though the price on my heart was barely enough to make a dent in its true value.
Yet.
The healing, loving hands of my Savior, Jesus, polished the tarnish right off the surface. He filled the hollow empty space with so much love it overflowed with gratitude and peace.
Jesus transformed my weary old rusty heart and redeemed it to a shimmering valuable piece of art.
How thankful am I that God looks beyond our dingy, broken, ugly selves? He specializes in lovingly picking us up, one heartbreak at a time, gently polishing our scratches and dingy surfaces, and gloriously restoring us to the complete, shining pieces of beauty He created us to be.
Every time I wear this necklace, I will recall how value is not always measured by looks alone. When given tender love and care, any old heart can be transformed into a beautiful piece of immeasurable worth.
