January 30

Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. — John 1:3 BSB

We treasure things not just for what they are, but for the memories and love they represent. A piece of worn-out clothing or a faded photograph may be precious because it was touched by a loved one.

An orphaned boy in an institution was given new clothes to replace his old, tattered ones. But before throwing away his worn cap, he carefully tore out a piece of faded silk sewn into it. When asked why, his eyes filled with tears as he explained that his mother had stitched the silk into the cap on her deathbed. He wanted to keep that patch as a reminder of her love.

Similarly, people pay large sums for old paintings, not because of the materials used, but because they were created by a famous master. If we remembered that Christ made all the beautiful things in nature, how much more precious would they be to us? The flowers in the field would be sweeter if we thought, “The hands of Christ painted these!”