Life has taught me how unpredictable it is. At age twenty-four I never thought I’d be standing on the foundation that has brought me so much internal growth. After surrounding my life to God and allowing him to anoint my feet I can truly say that I’ve been rooted in soil that has brought me prosperity and abundance. The life that I have been given has been a blessing and within this journey God has given me a life full of treasures that have been my pot of Gold at the end of his rainbow.

Your twenties aren’t your years for seeking growth and affluence, your life is. Every day we stumble upon little pieces of gold that supply our lives with richness and value. In my life I’ve come across a few treasures that are golden, that have taken me to places that I never imagined. These treasures I hold dearly, they are the formula to my worth and here are the ten treasures that I found on this journey called life.

1. Myself: I found myself. And that is the best treasure that I could’ve ever stumbled upon. There’s nothing worse than going through life with no sense of direction and being lost. When I found myself I found the beauty in the life God designed for me, and that is a treasure that I would never neglect nor abandon.

2. Christ: This is more than a treasure, it’s my foundation. Jesus. His love is far greater than anything this world could ever supply. He is the reason that I was able to find myself because I once was lost, but it’s because of Him that I am found.

3. Beauty: I never had the guts to look in the mirror and say to myself that I was beautiful. I never understood how I was created in God’s image until one day I began to see beauty from a different element. I saw the vastness of the world; I got a glimpse of the oceans and lay underneath the island universe. I saw the stars, I saw the full moon and I saw the twinkle in the darkness of the midnight hour. I saw life and I saw the masterpiece that God created with his breathe. I saw me and I finally saw the fluorescent glow that radiated within my soul because I finally found my beauty from within that penetrated outward for the world to see. I saw beauty, I saw her flesh and I saw her bones. I finally saw this treasure called beauty within me.

4. My Feelings: I love the ability to feel. I love being reminded that I am human. I love being able to feel happy, joyful, nervous or sad. I love being able to say out loud that I feel weak and I enjoy the moments where I can cry a storm full of tears. I treasure my ability to allow myself the entitlement of feeling however I want to feel. I refuse to let anyone rob me of such value. It is my job to feel because I am not a robot, I am made of flesh but formed by the spirit, and I’m simply human. And I treasure every moment that I am reminded of my humanness.

5. Death: I have been awakened by the thought of losing one’s soul. Death presents itself every single day and while some are fortunate enough to swiftly pass by it others are unfortunately consumed by it. But is this really unfortunate? Death has taught me how to value the things that I treasure. After losing my father I became aware that death is only here to do its job. Death never offered anything other than the termination of life, and so it is through death that I learn how to value the everyday things that have substance within this journey called life. Death is the reason why I understand life.

6. Love: The foundation of it all. Love is the premise of life and it is a treasure that multiples. It is a treasure that comes in all shapes and sizes and its value is universal. Without love I have no internal compass, I have no peace, I have no patience and I have no kindness. Without love I most importantly don’t have Christ, if it wasn’t for him loving me first I would never fully comprehend what love really looks like.

7. Generosity: I dislike a stingy soul. I pray that every day of my life my Lord will allow me to see the world from his point of view. I ask that He would open up my heart for the things that break His. I simply want to give without intent to receive. I believe the best treasure one could hold is the ability to not idolize the things of this world. I remember being in a place where I was tired of giving and valued everything I owned as mines, mines and mines. But what good are the things I have if I don’t have a heart big enough to acknowledge my maker, the one who supplied me with such things in the first place. I treasure a spirit that knows how to give without a hold on one’s heart. A treasure that I am glad to have picked up on the journey.

8. Courage: I am not the girl I used to be. That’s because I am now a woman who understands her worth and her value. I am a woman who understands where the source of her strength comes from and I am a woman who understands her calling in life and how God has decided to use me to build his kingdom. I am not the girl who never knew how to say “no”, I am not the girl anymore who allowed her worth to be entangled in the arms of a man. I am not the girl anymore who follows the crowd rather than leading it. I am simply not that girl anymore whose life was wrapped up in depression, self-hate and self-shaming. I found my courage, I found my strength, and I am now a woman who will never let go of this treasure called courage that allows her stand up for herself and for what she believes is worth fighting for which is me… I am truly worth fighting for!

9. Forgiveness: I had to learn how to walk away, and that was found in my ability to open my heart and forgive the way that Christ has forgiven me for every sin I have indulged in. I am no less than another, I am no better another. I believe that my soul needs room within me to dance and prance around. I believe my soul needs to experience what it is to be free and finding this treasure called forgiveness is something that I consider a luxury for the soul. Being able to forgive adds value to my life; it adds strength, peace and prosperity. I never once lost anything in my life by committing to the act of forgiveness. This gift has truly been an investment for my spirit to live in freedom, and this is a piece of gold that I will never trade.

10. Freedom: I am no longer a slave to things of this world, I’ve been set free. I am no longer bound and living a life of confinement. I am no longer a prisoner in the realm of my negative thoughts and I am no longer an object being used and abused by the forces that had me trapped for so long. I am free! I experienced freedom when I gave my life to Christ and that is a treasure that will never be worth a trade. The exchange has already been made and I no longer walk this earth with my crown on crooked. I am a child of God and I am covered by his blood. I will rebuke forces that try to destroy me, I will no longer be held captive by fear, doubt or failure. I speak with authority because I have the freedom to. I will walk with my head held high because I have the freedom to. I will boast and laugh in the midst of my weaknesses because I have the freedom to. And I will live my life to its fullest, I will dry out this land by snatching back what was once mines, I will be bold and walk with my shield of faith and quench all the fiery darts of wickedness on this earth. I will live, I will love and I will forever treasure my life because I have the freedom to!

Minaa B.