Finding Treasure

This summer I was introduced to something so simple and so God I dare say some people will dismiss it, mock it, or run from it. Their loss.

It's called a treasure hunt and instead of trying to find gold, material things, you find a person.

It goes like this. You invite a group of people to the treasure hunt. Have papers and pencils, transportation if you wish. The papers should have the following:

Location:

Names:

Need:

Something Unusual:

Then, you pray. When I attended, it was one person who prayed that the Holy Spirit would show us who we could bless in Christ's name that evening. It wasn't profound or long. We put pencil to paper and went at it. Instead of lingering, we jotted whatever came to mind.

I'm getting used to funny looks because I like my simple faith, it works for me. I believe kids are the gateway NOW to the kingdom, not later, so I'll bring them into an opportunity if I can. I brought the five year old with me and honestly she had as many answers for the paper as I did.

After writing, we broke into groups. Our group had five people I think, including two under the age of sixteen. We looked at our sheets and found the things in common. It will shock you that yes, there will be things in common.

For our group, we had red cross, a dad, and flags. We were next to a hospital so off we went. Our mission was to find someone matching our papers and just (not all of us) let them know we are on a treasure hunt and that they are God's treasure. That's it. No salvation message, no come to my church, just that. If you feel the need to pray, do so, but only after asking. Be sensitive to things that you might be comfortable with that a stranger might not.

We walked around one entrance at the hospital and just did not see anyone who matched our papers. We decided to walk out the emergency exit which was another way to get back to where we started, closer to the road.

Directly across from that exit was---the American Red Cross. We had no idea. We walk over and see no one, so we pray for the workers, the programs, the clients, etc...One of the men looks across the parking lot and notes all these flags. The building was a Masonic Lodge. A place with lots of "dads". We prayed as we felt led and apparently as I prayed for men to rise up as God created them to do, the clouds over the lodge broke and a ray of sun shone right on my face.

We did not find a person to share with, but we felt we hit a goldmine anyway. When we returned to "debrief", we learned another girl had the same experience of sun shining on her as she prayed. One group went to the mall in search of someone dressed in Goth attire with a neon sign and a pop machine. The group had a specific thing listed on the paper I can't remember, and I think a name attached, but I can't remember. For my example I'll say abandonment and the name John. They go to a store that usually has people dressed like that and nothing. One of the kids in the group was hungry and wanted something to eat. He visits a kiosk and guess who waits on him?

A girl dressed in Goth style. She took his order next to a pop machine and the kiosk had a neon sign over her head. An adult in the group just shared the treasure message with her and she was very taken that God would think of her and send strangers. She was going through the very issue their paper had.

Another group found a man who fit all the criteria but was skeptical and didn't want to be prayed for, but when he saw the paper, he was amazed. The next day his daughter was having surgery, and I believe the name and/or the need matched the group's papers.

What I found curious (and hysterical) was that some people who started the treasure hunt felt weird and left before the hunt started. They broke off and went to dinner. Guess what, they found the person on their list at dinner. They didn't approach the person, but guess how life changing it was for them to realize God was working even when they didn't want to.

I encourage you to give this a try. We live in a hurting world and who couldn't use a message of encouragement? I remember years ago hearing that a pastor called a 1-900 type number after hearing an ad about how this number could help you feel special. The number was for a psychic. The girl on the phone answered the pastor's questions. Turns out most of her calls are from hurting people who just want to know they matter.

They do, and so do you.

Isn't it about time we told someone?

Julie Arduini is a surrendered writer with her own blog, http://thesurrenderedscribe.blogspot.com/. A graduate of the Christian Writers Guild, she also blogs for the Christian Writers Forum Sundays as the mommy blogger. She is active with FaithWriters and has several writings ready to publish in different books and anthologies in 2008-09. One of the books will be a quote in Kathy Vick's Simon and Schuster/Howard's gift book, "Run Like a Girl."
You can also find Julie the third Thursday of each month over at Take Root and Write with her column, Finding Freedom through Surrender. She facilates a group by the same name at the sister social networking site, Christian Women Take Root.