An Israelite named Kish was . . .
. . . a mighty man of valor.
He had a son whose name was Saul,
a choice and handsome man,
and there was not a more handsome person than he
among the sons of Israel;
from his shoulders and up he was taller
than any of the people.
1 Samuel 9:1-2
This is how the Bible describes Saul, the young man who would become Israel’s first king. Height, good looks, personality, and other traits make some people stand out in a crowd. Saul stood out.
Several years ago, Ray and I went into a grocery store in a different town. We saw a young man who was like Saul: “from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people” around him. It was obvious that people had mentioned his height to him about a gazillion times. He had added these words to his store name tag: “I’m 6’8″, I play basketball.”
Needless to say, we didn’t ask him how the weather was up there.
This very tall young man could have been studying to be a speech therapist or an archaeologist. Perhaps he worked at the store while he built his career as a concert violinist. Maybe he had just returned from a year on the mission field or a trip to Europe with his Mom and Dad. Maybe he just lost his grandmother or just came to Christ after struggling from drug addiction. I don’t know what he needed to talk about or wanted to talk about but I know that he didn’t want another identical conversation about his height and whether he played basketball.
Sometimes we find it hard to look past the most obvious things we see in a person so that we can reach down and find out what is really important to them. This can happen with strangers, but it can also happen with our husbands, children, or other members of our families. Everyone has hidden treasures we can discover if we look past the obvious and open our hearts.
Home Treasures by Currier and Ives. Courtesy Library of Congress.
May we pay attention today so we don’t miss the hidden treasures our loved ones are ready to show us.
A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding draws it out.
Proverbs 20:5
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