I’ve always loved a good treasure hunt. Growing up, my twin sister and I were known to be the instigators and program directors for the neighborhood we lived in. You name it, we thought it up and organized the posse of little girls that lived on our street.
My sister and I mid-treasure hunt
Our favorite adventure together was seeking and finding buried treasure. We were determined on our quest to discover long lost treasure wherever we looked. With our shovels in hand we were obsessed with searching and digging until we struck gold. On one occasion, after many hours of hard work we struck gold, or so we thought.
We were elated to uncover a rusty, old wrench deep beneath the ground. But the best prize and find of all was one I’ll never forget. As we were searching for just the right place to dig we heard a faint “meow” and as we began to follow the sound we found the most incredible treasure—a litter of adorable kittens we surprisingly uncovered deep within an old woodpile.
As I reflect on the thrill of seeking the treasure of childhood dreams, I noticed the word seeKING and saw it in a whole new way. As I seek to know more about the hope found in Jesus I am reminded of a truth and promise that Jesus is our true KING:
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)
A few summers ago, I had an experience that helped to remind me of the awesome truth that Jesus is our King. We were on our boat anchored in the Princess Louisa Inlet tucked behind McDonald Island. It is our family’s favorite anchorage, and we have made many special memories there. The waters are warm, surrounded by the glorious beauty of the mountains and forest. This special spot is close to our favorite Young Life camp — Malibu — where my husband I first met.
Malibu and the inlet are only accessible by boat or seaplane so it makes it very remote and peaceful….a true boater’s destination, for sure! One of my most special memories of Karina is in this exact anchorage during her last summer with us. She enjoyed wakeboarding behind the tender (dinghy) all around the inlet.
Karina wakeboarding during her last summer with us
One of the most important advantages of this anchorage for our family has been that it is the only place where you can get satellite for the TV to work. This enables our family to keep in touch with the news, sports, and of course, some entertaining movies. On this particular evening, my husband and I were snuggled up on the couch to watch TV and one of our family favorite movies came on: Princess Diaries 2. I hadn’t seen this movie in years and not since Karina passed away. The Princess Diaries movies were always one of our favorites. (These movies are a must for those of you who have daughters. I highly recommend them!)
Seeing her favorite movie in this special place made it a very memorable time for me. As I sat there watching, I was flooded with memories of my beloved Karina, and I found myself teary-eyed throughout the entire movie.
Finally, it came to the last scene, when Mia (the main character) becomes Princess of Genovia. She has actually been a princess of this country since birth but she doesn’t come to find that out until she is a teenager. As she realizes her true identity and begins to learn what it means to be a princess, her life changes and she begins to live with confidence, grace, and purpose. Princess Mia then leads a parade in her new country and includes all the little girls and boys. She gives them tiaras and crowns and a pep talk on how they are princesses and princes. She encourages them to walk like it, talk like it, and live like it — and to just have fun! You can watch the clip below:
Something spoke to me that evening as I watched this scene. I needed to hear those words! When I was young, I had always wanted to be a princess but I realized in that moment that I already am! The Lord is my King and I am HIS. I can forget that sometimes. I think many people don’t even know this Truth. It is an important Truth to anchor in our hearts.
We have a King, Jesus, who adores us and laid His life down for us, who has great plans for each one of us and desires to have a relationship with us.
I was inspired and filled with confidence that evening as I watched the movie. It reminded me of the truth that I am precious to the Lord and a princess in His eyes.
As I set this Truth in my heart and trust Jesus as my King, a confidence and grace takes over. This serves as a good reminder to trust Him as my King. As we earnestly seek Him in relationship and trust in Him, we will SEE and experience the one true KING, our greatest treasure!
“For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.” (Psalm 47:2)
With hope and light,
We are looking for a paid part-time Executive Assistant to work closely with Katie, the Founder and CEO. The assistant will help with a great variety of program and office responsibilities.
Does this sound like you or someone you know? Read more about the description here and apply by emailing Katie at [email protected]
The Anchor Gathering is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants.
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