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Family teacher, Joe McGee, tells an astonishing story from decades earlier when he traveled to South Africa.
Many years ago, there was a farmer who had been very successful in farming potatoes, but had heard about diamond sightings in a different region. He had great land with beautiful, fertile soil, and with hard work produced successful crops. However, the appeal of hearing that he could quickly have all that he could ever want through these diamonds caused him to sell his land.
A gentleman gladly bought the man’s bountiful land and was extremely happy to own his first farm. The potato farmer left his farm behind in search of precious diamonds!
A very short time passed, and the new owner’s children were playing by the creek on the farm. One of the kids discovered a cool crystal looking object and decided to bring it home to the dinner table. They happened to have a guest over for dinner that night and they all admired the child’s find. As they closely looked it over, the guest noticed that he had never seen crystal sparkle and disperse light like the object the child found.
The guest told the family that he was quite certain that it was a diamond. The family wasn’t sure at first because they said it was so big. No, the guest insisted that it was indeed a diamond. The man who bought the farm told him that it couldn’t be a diamond because that creek was full of those objects!!
They all went out to the creek with buckets, and sitting under 6 inches of water was enough diamonds to fill their buckets! The man who sold his farm gave up the very thing he left in search of. It was there along, but he tragically had not realized the riches were in his possession the whole time.
Hearing this story made me think of our beloved families. How many spouses have a creek full of diamonds in their family at home, but they hear of a promise of a better life somewhere else? They become enticed by the idea of a quick fix, instantly good life. If they could just leave the potatoes behind, they could go discover the diamonds they deserve. They don’t realize that they already have diamonds at their home - they are just sitting under 6 inches of water, waiting to be discovered.
The greatest treasure we will ever find in our search for greatness is within the people in our own family. We don’t want to be one of the countless others who have been deceived into thinking that our happiness lies somewhere else. We can’t be tricked into thinking that if we just went here or there then we could really be happy. Surely, we are wise enough to see that we have been given the power, strength, and insight by God to discover all the beauty already in our life.
I commit to finding the diamonds already on my property within my family. I refuse to follow a carrot on a stick, a promise dangling in front of me by the enemy. It is designed to destroy my most noble mission here on earth: To humbly serve, love, and lift up the family God has given me.
Father God, my spouse is the most beautiful diamond I will ever behold. I repent for times when I have looked at him/her like an unworthy potato. You have given me countless treasures in my family. I pray that I don’t live a stupid, regretful life giving up something so costly to chase after things that will never satisfy my search. My satisfaction is in being the spouse You have called me to be to the spouse I am with. I want to hold my head up high because I know I am doing all that I can to show each person in my family what a treasure they are!