You might be missing this in your hardest season
- 2 min reading time
I’m currently reading a book by Brazilian missionary Edmeia Williams called Tesouros Escondidos (Hidden Treasures). I wish it were available in English, but I couldn’t find it. Still, I’d love to share some of its valuable insights with you.
We all know that treasures are hard to find. They are usually hidden in dark, frightening caves. The more precious the treasure, the harder it is to reach. Yet treasure hunters know the arduous journey is worth it. In the same way, every hardship we face holds hidden treasures, but we must seek meaning in each challenge.
Remember: God is not the author of suffering, but He works through it and has precious things to teach us. Still, these treasures are found only by those who seek them.
The author shares a painful part of her story.
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👉 She is a widow who lost her beloved daughter just one year after her husband passed away. From childhood, Edmeia was taught to study and work. However, when she married at nineteen, her husband firmly prevented her from working, insisting he earned enough to support them. This came as a shock. Resigned and frustrated, she became a stay-at-home mother, carrying deep sorrow in her heart.
After her husband’s death, she was unable to find a job. “No one hires women in their forties,” she said. She blamed her late husband for her inability to work. Then, a year later, she faced the devastating loss of her 25-year-old daughter, deepening the wound in her heart. One might ask: how is it possible to find a treasure in the midst of such pain?
But whoever seeks… finds.
One night, after wrestling in prayer and asking God for the grace to forgive, she received her answer:
“You had your daughter for only 25 years. During that time, you were able to fully enjoy her because you did not have a job. If you had been working, how would you feel now, knowing you had so little time with her?”
She wept, and for the first time, she was able to thank God for the labor of the man who worked so she could care for her daughter.
She found her hidden treasure.
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Dear friend, do not let frustration, suffering, broken relationships, grief, or any other pain keep you from discovering the great treasure God has for you. Avoid self-pity. Our Heavenly Father never allows anything He cannot use for our good.
"I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."
Isaiah 45:3
"Father, I know You make all things work together for the good of those who love You. Help me find the hidden treasures that only You have for me. Amen."
