A Peculiar Treasure

I love how you never know when God will speak to you and how you never know who might be the one that is the vessel he uses to deliver his message.

Today that vessel was my daughter and an amazing group of high school friends (ouch....it still stings to use daughter and high school in the same sentence!).  She left a few hours ago with a couple of friends and they were meeting up with more of their group to volunteer at a local food pantry.  Today is distribution day and she was excited to see how they would use them today.  Last week, they sorted clothes and stocked shelves.  Because this group of girls decided that they wanted to make it a "regular" thing----they had to choose a name for their group to go on the volunteer sign in sheets.  The desire to serve last week had originated out of their desire to work in the community because they were either not old enough or not available at the time to join in with the group that spent the week in Joplin.  They tossed around a few names and by the end of the afternoon, they settled on the name "Peculiar Treasures". 

As I talked with her this afternoon before she left, we were talking about that word....Peculiar.  We talked about how they came up with the name and what it meant.  It definitely sparked a conversation!  She knew that it was based on a Bible verse in the Old Testament and the word itself was typically only used in the King James Version.  Since we normally use NIV and NLT on a regular basis, we pulled up Biblos.com and start looking it up.  I wanted to see what context it was being used because I just really like the "ring" those words had together. 

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a PECULIAR TREASURE unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine: 
Exodus 19:5

I loved it and it brought such peace to me.  You see, I've often been described as peculiar and it usually hasn't been in a loving attitude.   To be honest, I just really haven't liked that word since it often reminds me of how some people view me and my take on life.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that they see me as different because God has called me to BE different.  However, the word just seems to rub salt in a wound. 

To hear my daughter use the word combined with treasure and know that it had a Biblical base really made me start thinking.  Peculiar TREASURE?  Can something BE peculiar AND be treasured?  It made me start wondering what those words meant in combination. 

Other versions:  treasured possession (NIV), my own special treasure (NLT), my treasured possession (ESV),  my special property (Bible in Basic English).

I don't believe there is ANY negativity to be found in those words.  God was speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai and told him to give that message to the people of Israel.  Keep my commandments, listen to me, and I will call you my peculiar treasure.  What beautiful words!

I love how God has poured that into my wounds.  What words some have used to harm, He has used to heal.  After all, He does call us to be set apart from the world.  One of the actual definitions of the word peculiar is "to be distinct from all others".  Never will I look at this word the same!  Instead of hearing it with dread, I'm loving it.  I'm embracing being a "peculiar treasure".

I'm most especially thankful for a daughter that has beautiful friends that are seeking to be peculiar treasures and place such value on servanthood and living a life for Christ.  It brings such joy to this mom's heart as we have faced such struggles to help her find such a group.  God has blessed our socks off and I can hardly wait to see what He has in store for all of these girls.  So thankful He has placed them together and with such a group of mentors leading their way.