Finding Hidden Treasures (aka Arthritis in your Armpits!)

“I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” – Isaiah 45:3

A few years ago, while on a camping trip with my daughter, I learned a new game called geocaching. Similar to a scavenger hunt, you use a global positioning system (GPS) to find a hidden “cache” of treasure. The difference between the two games, however, is that with geocaching, you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. All you know is that it will be in a container of some kind, and that it will be located at certain coordinates on the GPS. The treasure itself is a surprise.

I have noticed, in my journey with God, that life can sometimes be like geocaching. We are looking for something – our purpose, a new direction, or perhaps a specific answer to prayer – but we aren’t sure exactly what we will find.

When I was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), I began searching for answers. Why did I have this disease? How would it impact my life? What ramifications would it have for my family, now and down the road? I knew that with any illness, the answers vary from person to person, and so many of my answers would not be found ahead of time. I would simply have to experience them.

Most of my initial questions were filled with dread. Would I have to give up the things I love, like hiking and kayaking? Would I have to take those medications I had heard about? Would I still be able to work? As I learned to live with RA, I learned the answers. Yes, I could still work, just not at the level I used to. Yes, I would have to take the drugs. But no, I would not have to give up my favorite activities. Not yet, anyway.

As time has gone on, I have begun to ask different questions. Instead of asking, “Why me?” I have begun to ask, “Why not me?” I have traded my dread for hope, and moved the focus away from what’s wrong to what’s right.

Don’t misunderstand me, there is not a lot to like about having any chronic illness. I’m not going to downplay the seriousness of rheumatoid disease and the significant pain it can cause, especially to those who have more severe cases than I do. But I do believe that in every cloud, there is a silver lining, if we choose to look for it.

Just as I found some unusual little prizes when I went geocaching, so I have found some unexpected surprises with RA. For instance, I recently discovered a new trick to differentiating my disease from the stereotypical “old person’s disease” of osteoarthritis (OA). How many people with OA can say they have arthritis in their armpits? Ha! None, you say! And you would be right!

Never in my life did I ever expect rheumatoid disease to manifest itself in my armpits, but voila! Nope, those swollen lymph nodes that showed up on my recent mammogram aren’t breast cancer. They are due to my RA. Now I don’t have anything to worry about with those little lumps. In fact, thinking about them gives me a little laugh!

And what about community? So many people come together when they are in pain, and end up finding collective joy. Whether it is connecting over an illness or a life circumstance, God can give us “hidden treasure” through relationships with other people. I have been blessed beyond measure in this way.

Of course, the greatest treasure we could ever find is a relationship with our heavenly Father. He shows us how to find it. The GPS navigation is clear. Jesus is the way.

Jesus himself said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.” (Matthew 13:44) All of God’s goodness is a treasure, wrapped up and waiting for us to find. It is hidden, tucked away in a secret place.

We can look at the big field of our circumstances, and miss it altogether. Or we can search with all of our hearts, digging deep into the rich soil of God’s Word and leveraging the power of the Holy Spirit, to find what our hearts truly long for: peace, joy, love. God’s hidden treasure. Seek and you will find it … in Him.

Can you hear God calling you by name, calling you to seek out the hidden treasures He has for you? Can you find His goodness – peace, love and joy – in whatever circumstances you find yourself? Don’t miss out on God’s loving kindness. Open your eyes to His goodness and mercy, and find the treasure He has for you today.

Finding Hidden Treasures (aka Arthritis in your Armpits!) originally appeared on Spring Sight blog, by Linda W. Perkins. Click here for more posts. Get even more encouragement by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. 

Many of Spring Sight's posts can also be found each week on Crystal Storms' #IntentionalTuesday,  Kelly Balarie's #RaRaLinkUp, Holly Barrett's Testimony Tuesday, Arabah Joy's Grace & Truth, Holley Gerth's Coffee for Your Heart, and Woman to Woman's Word Filled Wednesday. This week, I am also linking up with Jennifer Dukes Lee and Dawn at Journeys in Grace, as well as with Lori Schumaker.

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