Looking Beneath the Surface

A few years ago, when we were renovating our home (which used to belong to my in-laws), we cleared everything out—including the old kitchen cabinets. Most of it went straight into a dumpster in the yard, but my husband held onto the cabinets, thinking we might use them one day in an outdoor shop.

Well, that “one day” never really came. They sat in our storage building for years until last winter, when I finally decided it was time to clean things out. Those cabinets were taking up way too much space, so I started loading them up to get rid of them.

As I was working, I noticed something—my late mother-in-law had lined the drawers with decorative paper. Some of them even had two layers, where she had simply placed a new pattern right on top of the old one.

I decided to keep a few drawers to use as storage bins for tools and odds and ends. They were still sturdy and perfect for organizing.

I had already loaded several drawers into the back of the truck to take to the dump when, for some reason, I felt the urge to peek underneath that top layer of paper in one of them. And I’m so glad I did.

Tucked between the layers were TWO $100 bills.

Apparently, my mother-in-law had hidden money there—so well, in fact, that even she never found it again. I just stood there for a moment, smiling and shaking my head. What a surprise.

But as I thought about it later, I couldn’t help but see a deeper lesson in it all. How often do we overlook hidden treasure?

Sometimes it’s right there, tucked beneath the surface, covered up by layers of life, busyness, or even our own assumptions. We go through the motions, clearing things out, moving on, thinking there’s nothing of value left—when in reality, something precious is still there waiting to be discovered.

It made me think about our faith, too.

God often places things within us—gifts, purpose, wisdom, even peace—that we don’t always recognize right away. Sometimes it takes a pause, a nudge, or a moment of curiosity to look a little deeper.

And when we do, we just might uncover something we didn’t even realize was there all along.

Just like those drawers, what looks ordinary on the outside may be holding unexpected treasure underneath.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

April 17, 2026 Morning Brew

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