I stepped across my “chicken line.” My friends, husband and I went out on our first Treasure Hunt (see the book by Kevin Dedmon), where we looked for people that God wanted us to find. I can’t lie, for me, there is nothing scarier than walking up to someone and trying to carry on a conversation, but this adventure takes it one step further. We needed to share with them something that God wanted them to know.
What if we didn’t find the person? What if we got what we were supposed to say wrong? What if the person wasn’t receptive? What if…what if? I had to believe it was God’s problem, not mine. So, we sat down and asked God to give us clues to the person He wanted us to meet. We used a form we found online with different categories like: Where is the person? What are they wearing or is there an identifying mark? Do they have something obvious for which you can pray? What does God want to reveal to them?
Ten minutes later, we had our Treasure Maps filled out.
As a group, we decided to go to my place first. We did a lot of people watching. I found myself relaxing into the moment. Then something switched, and I became aware of each person walking by as a God-given treasure. Even if they weren’t someone on any of our lists, I saw potential in each person. It made me thankful that God loves the individuality of each of us. I thought, that I don’t have to fit into a certain box or fit into a preconceived pattern for me to be a valuable treasure in God’s eyes. It was a freeing moment. In the half-hour we stayed in that space, many people came and went. My husband and one of our friends, started conversations with a few of the people, but we finally decided we needed to move on to the next place.
We went to my husband’s place next. It was a new grocery store in town. He was looking for a woman, with dark hair, buying a yellow zucchini. He walked into the store and within the first two minutes found his treasure. As he tells the story, he was so shocked he had to take a moment to compose himself. Eventually he did approach the woman and told her our story. She was polite but didn’t over engage. He left her with a blessing.
Meanwhile, one of our friends found two people that fit at least one clue on his list. He chatted with each of them. He even got to pray with the ‘blue pants’ lady from his sheet.
Our whole group had an ongoing joke about needing to go to IHOP. So, we went there next. Why not? We had just found three of our Treasures. Maybe we would find more. The friend that hadn’t found any of her clues was looking for a female, red hair, inside a building with issues with her lower extremities. Our other friend who had already found two on his list still had a strange clue of finding someone with a name he couldn’t pronounce.
Our server came, and his name badge was “Ilaya.” Our friend asked how to pronounce his name. Even now I can’t get it right. The server said he was English, but his name was Russian. Wow, we just found another one. Our friend tried to engage the server, but it fell flat. What’s up with that God?
Then I saw the red-headed, female, walking as if her feet hurt. She was a server in another section of the building. My friend didn’t want to get up and talk to her, probably because we had just watched the last conversation fizzle out. Anyway, we spent time talking about changing our approach, so it didn’t come off as confrontive or weird, but as a friendly blessing. I could see my friend still wasn’t going to jump into a conversation, so I gave her a piece of paper and suggested she write a note and give it to the server on our way out to encourage her Treasure. Our other friend also wrote a note to our server as a blessing. They passed them off on our way out. Though we don’t know how those notes were received, there was a sense of accomplishment handing them to the Treasure.
Though I was the only one that didn’t find a treasured person, I came away with some great treasures:
- Be aware of the people around you, they are God’s treasures, and He wants you to see them
- Instead of leading with questions that would make people uncomfortable, give away words of encouragement and appreciation
- If all else fails, write your message from God to them in a note
- Even if you don’t find your specific treasure, you have succeeded because you stepped out in faith.
I know God was with us as we went on our Treasure Hunt and we found Him working in strange places and interesting ways. As an extreme introvert who almost failed her Evangelism class in college, this adventure was way, way out of my comfort zone. It took a lot to get me to step across my chicken line. However, I’m extremely surprised to write that I’m looking forward to our next Treasure Hunt. I had fun! As the Hunt finished-up I realized I didn’t want to stop looking. What if my person was waiting for me and I just missed her? What if…what if?
Oh well, maybe next time I’ll be the one who finds three people on my list.
Praying that you find your Treasures!
Andrea Sanger
Live180