More Precious Than Gold

More Precious Than Gold

My Aunt Carol lives about 30 miles from me and is the youngest of seven children on my dad’s side of my family. It is always a treat to visit with her. Carol and I both have a love for crafting and at times we work on a project when we get together, but we mostly go shopping and talk about the projects we are working on.

As you grow older, spending time with family becomes higher on the list of priorities. I am a family person! I love making dinners, hosting holiday parties, planning food, and anticipating fun times with both my family and my in-laws.  I know quite a bit of family history on my dad’s side because we spent a lot of time together as I was growing up. I loved my grandparents and always looked forward to the Christmas party she hosted each year because it meant getting with our cousins and filling a very small house up with so many people that you better not give up your seat on the floor or you might end up without one for the rest of the night! 

Recently, Carol and I spent a day together and as I was getting ready to leave she said she had a couple of things for me. I followed her into her bedroom and watched her open a couple of drawers and then she opened a small jewelry box and placed a ring and a charm bracelet in my hand. Here, I want you to have these. The ring was one that my grandmother wore for as long as I can remember. It was a Mother’s ring containing the birth stones of all seven of her children and the charm bracelet was specially made and given to my grandmother by Carol and her late husband Darwin. The charms are made into a side profile of each of her children with their name and birth date engraved on the neck of each child. The charm has a plate with my grandparents’ anniversary date as well.

As Carol handed me the jewels, she said, “I want to give these to someone I can trust will keep them in the family.” Carol explained that there are some who would sell them in hopes of getting a decent price for the gold. She went on to say they need to be owned by someone who understands the value of what they have. I was both humbled and amazed at what had just been entrusted to me. I would never contemplate selling them because I am so familiar with all the people represented in the jewelry.  I also know the children of those people represented in the jewelry well and I know the value that each birth stone represents. Each stone represents the month that one of my aunts or uncles were born. The tarnished, worn ring represents the many years my grandmother wore that ring. The bracelet represents the face of each child my grandmother birthed and most of them arrived right in their own home! The anniversary date engraved on the bracelet represents a moment in time when my grandparents made a vow to each other to stay faithful, and to love and to cherish one another for as long as they lived. 

I brought the jewelry home and shared with my family the treasure that was entrusted to me and I shared with them how I thought I should take the jewelry and have it cleaned up so it could shine once again like it did so many years ago.  I planned to find a way to display the jewelry so I could share the story of what the pieces represent with other family members and close friends. 

As I contemplated the value of these pieces I realized that without an understanding of the history, the stories and the purpose of keeping the jewelry in the family, it would be easy to sell them to the highest bidder. I recognized that this is what many do with the presence of God. God pours his spirit on many people, He shed his blood for all. He places something of value in us, but unless we catch a glimpse of the value, the love and the trust he has placed in us, it is very easy to toss it to the highest bidder.  His spirit represents the whole purpose for coming to earth, taking on a robe of flesh, dying, raising Himself up again, and providing a way for us to come to Him so He can fill us with His spirit and give purpose to our life.  No, I would never part with the jewelry because it truly is more precious than any amount of money the gold could bring to me. No, I will never part with the one who purchased my salvation, entrusted me with His spirit, and loved me so much that I was to die for. Some things are much more precious than gold!

 -Written By Patty Hollaway