The Curious Case of the Forgotten Treasure!
- MS
- Sep 30
- 10 min read
The Chocolate Clue Shop has always been more than it appears. By day, it is a charming little storefront on a cobblestone lane, filled with glass jars of truffles, bags of cocoa dust, and scrolls tied with ribbons.
However, for those who know its secrets, it serves as a doorway, a place where earthly questions lead to eternal mysteries, and where ordinary afternoons transform into treasure hunts for the soul.
I have visited this shop many times, following riddles that drew me deeper into understanding myself and my relationship with Him. Yet, this morning felt different. There was a hum in the air, a sense that today’s quest was not about clues hidden in dusty boxes or bags of maps, but rather something far more personal: my worth.
A faint golden light streamed through the shop’s windows, reflecting off jars labeled "Delight" and "Joy."
At the corner table, Jesus was waiting. His presence transformed the entire shop into a sanctuary, despite it not appearing religious in any way. A magnifying glass rested beside Him, along with a parchment sealed with a wax stamp shaped like a shepherd’s staff.
I could feel my heartbeat quicken. A new case was about to begin.
My Dear Heart, have you ever wondered if you’ve misplaced something more valuable than your keys or wallet, something like your own sense of worth? Have you ever felt as though joy, peace, or the feeling of being enough slipped quietly into a hidden drawer, and no matter how hard you search, you can’t quite remember where you left it?
Welcome; you’ve come to the right place.
The Chocolate Clue Shop is no ordinary sweet shop. The air is filled with the rich aromas of cocoa and cinnamon, and if you listen closely, you’ll notice that the shop hums with more than just the scent of chocolate. It hums with mystery. The shelves around you are lined with jars labeled in ways you don’t typically associate with candy: Delight, Peace, Joy, Abundance, Enough, Love. Each jar seems to wink at you, as if it knows something you’ve forgotten. Here, you’ll find caramels named Delight, truffles called Joy, glossy chocolates stamped with Peace, bonbons wrapped in Abundance, striped candies named Enough, and cocoa-dusted morsels labeled Love.
Somewhere among these shelves is today’s case file, waiting to be opened. The parchment reads in elegant blue ink: Case #23: The Curious Case of the Forgotten Treasure.
What is this treasure? Why was it forgotten? And more importantly, what if it’s been within you all along, waiting for you to recognize it again?
So, pull up a chair and take a deep breath. The chocolates are waiting, the magnifying glass is polished, and the greatest treasure is about to reveal itself in the most unexpected way.
Are you ready to begin? Shall we investigate?
The Chocolate Clue Shop was buzzing with secrets that morning.
The rain had just stopped as I pushed open the door of the shop. The bell above the frame jingled with its familiar detective-like chime, almost as if it had been waiting for me. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of cocoa and cinnamon, lingering like a secret. The shelves were lined with curious jars, truffles labeled “Joy,” caramels named “Delight,” and bars wrapped in parchment scrawled with riddles, all seemingly winking at me with mischief.
Sunlight streamed through the royal blue windows, glinting off glossy chocolates marked with “Peace,” bonbons wrapped in “Abundance,” and striped candies named “Enough.” I could sense that something significant was about to be revealed, even before I saw Him.
At my favorite corner table, Jesus sat as calm as ever, with a magnifying glass and a piece of parchment beside Him. The parchment was sealed with a wax stamp shaped like a shepherd’s staff. My heart raced as I slid into the chair opposite Him.
He smiled, His eyes sparkling with that familiar mix of kindness and mischief. “Are you ready for today’s case?”
I leaned forward, eager to learn more. “What is it?”
He slid the parchment toward me. In royal blue ink, it read: Case File #23: The Treasured Woman: Lost or Found?
I raised my brows. “Treasured… Is this about proving worth? About being enough?”
He leaned in, lowering His voice like a detective revealing a hidden lead. “No, this is not about proving. This is about seeing. It is about recovering what has been hidden beneath layers of striving, fixing, and fear. Shall we investigate?”
I nodded.
The First Clue: The Shepherd’s Map.
Jesus motioned for me to follow Him. He picked up the magnifying glass, tucked it into His satchel, and together we stepped through the back door of the shop. Instead of leading to the cobblestone alley, the door opened into a vast meadow filled with tall grass. Above the grass floated a glowing scroll, suspended in the air like a lantern. He pointed and said, “The Shepherd’s Map.”
I reached for it, and as I touched the parchment, the words shimmered to life:
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul." — Psalm 23:1–3
The words pulsed as if they were inscribed in the very air around me.
“This,” Jesus explained, “is the foundation of value in My kingdom: you do not lack. Not because you hold everyone’s stories, nor because you prove your faithfulness, not because you work hard. You lack nothing because you are in Me. A Treasured Woman abides in this reality.”
In that moment, I felt the first reframe click into place like a lock opening: My value is not in holding, fixing, working hard, proving, or rescuing; my value is in belonging to Him.
The Second Clue: The Mirror Pool.
We ventured deeper into the meadow until we reached a still pool of water, as clear as glass.
“Look,” He said.
I knelt down. In the water, I didn’t see the weary version of myself, burdened by life's challenges. Instead, I saw a woman dressed in a robe of cream and gold, with Psalm 23 embroidered at the hem. Her hands were free, and her face was radiant and at peace.
“Who is she?” I whispered. Jesus smiled.
“She is you,” He whispered. “This is how I see you. A Treasured Woman in My eyes is radiant because she rests, strong because she trusts. She embodies femininity not by striving to be pleasing, but because she is already delighted in.”
I touched the surface of the water. The reflection rippled but remained intact. The truth was unwavering.
I felt the second reframe click into place, like a lock opening: My worth is not measured by my effort, but by resting in His Love.
The Third Clue: The Crown of Wildflowers.
We walked into a vibrant field bursting with wildflowers, the air was alive with the colors of violets, buttercups, and delicate forget-me-nots swaying in the gentle breeze. He knelt amidst the blooms, His hands skillfully weaving together a crown from the soft stems and brightly colored petals, creating a masterpiece. With a tender smile, He lifted it and gently placed it on my head.
“This is your crown,” He said softly, His voice warm and reassuring. “Not the heavy crown weighed down by responsibility, expectations, or the need to fix everything, but a light crown of righteousness. You don’t have to labor for it; it’s yours to wear. I have given my all to bestow this upon you.”
The meadow around us seemed to hum with His words, filling the air with an enchanting melody: She is loved. She is chosen. She is free.
In that moment, a profound calm surrounded me, washing over my nervous system like a soothing balm; I felt not just relaxed but truly safe.
"When anxiety begins to creep in,” He said, His gaze steady and compassionate, “hold onto this memory. Imagine putting on the wildflower crown on your head. Whisper to yourself: I am already covered, already radiant, already His delight.”
And in that sacred instant, I felt a vital shift within me, the third reframe clicking into place like a long-awaited key turning in a lock: I am chosen, I am loved, I am free; I already belong.
The Final Clue: The Basket of Stories.
At the far edge of the meadow, the tall grass parted to reveal a simple wooden bench shaded by a tree. Its surface was smooth, worn by years of use. Resting on the bench was a woven basket.
The basket was brimming with scrolls, tied with ribbons in shades of cream and blue. Each scroll was labeled with a name, a story, or a burden I had picked up along the way, fragments of lives I had tried to carry, as though I were responsible for their endings.
Jesus touched the basket lightly, His fingers tracing the edges of the scrolls. His voice was steady and kind: “These are not yours to solve, beloved. You are not their savior, nor their redeemer. You are My delight. These stories belong to Me.”
He handed me one of the scrolls. I untied the ribbon and read the words inside. The weight of the story pressed against my heart, fears, wounds, choices, and longings that were never mine to fix. When I finished, He held the basket open. “Now, place it back here,” He said.
As I returned the scroll to the basket, something shifted inside me. It felt as if a cord that had tethered me to their outcomes was gently loosened. He smiled and said, “Compassion doesn’t mean carrying. Love doesn’t mean rescuing. Safety is trusting Me with their stories.”
I nodded, and He handed me another scroll. One by one, I read them, allowing myself to feel the ache, the empathy, the tenderness, and then, one by one, I placed them back into the basket. With each release, the meadow seemed to grow brighter, as if the grass itself was breathing lighter alongside me.
When the last scroll was returned, Jesus gently closed the basket and set it beside Him. He looked at me, His eyes filled with delight.
“Your story,” He said, “is not written in the ink of fixing others or in striving, but in the ink of resting and trusting in Me. You are My treasured one. Let Me be the keeper of these stories, and you be the keeper of delight.”
With those words, the basket glowed faintly in the sunlight, not as a burden I had to drag behind me, but as a reminder that all those I love are safe in His hands.
In that sacred moment, I felt a vital shift within me, like a long-awaited key turning in a lock. Compassion doesn’t mean carrying. Love doesn’t mean rescuing. Safety is trusting Him with others' stories.
The Closing of the Case.
Back at the Chocolate Clue Shop, Jesus sat across from me once more. The case file now read: Case Closed: The Treasured Woman: Found in Him.
I smiled and said, “So this is the mystery: it’s not that I need to earn my worth, but that I already am worthy.” He nodded in agreement. “Yes, your worth is not fragile. It is rooted, like a tree planted by streams of water. A treasured woman in My eyes is one who knows she is already Mine. Her crown is light, her peace is her power, and her rest is her radiance.”
“You see now,” He said gently, “your value was never hidden in how others perceived you, in the burdens you carried, or in the outcomes you managed. It was hidden in Me, waiting to be rediscovered. And now that you know, you can walk in that truth freely.”
I tucked the parchment into my satchel, but I understood that this case was more than solved; it was meant to be lived. Each step forward would continue this journey: abiding in Psalm 23, wearing the crown of delight, releasing the scrolls of burden, and carrying the radiance of rest into my days.
The chocolate jars winked at me as I rose to leave, as if to say, “Come back soon. There are always more mysteries to uncover.”
As I stepped out onto the cobblestone lane, the words lingered like perfume in the morning air: “I am loved. I am chosen. I am free.”
I knew that every step I took back into the world outside was covered with the same truth as the garden, the meadow, and the basket: I abide, I belong, and I am crowned with delight.
Practical Steps for Daily Life.
Morning Reframe (Psalm 23): Start each day by whispering one line from Psalm 23, allowing it to be your breath prayer.
Wear the Crown: Whenever you feel unworthy, visualize placing a wildflower crown on your head. Remind yourself: "I am already covered, already radiant, already His delight."
Release the Scrolls: When you feel tempted to carry someone else’s burdens, strive, imagine placing their stories in the basket Jesus is holding. Whisper: "This is Yours, not mine."
Mirror Pool Practice: Take 1-2 minutes each day to look into a mirror or close your eyes. Picture the radiant robe embroidered with Psalm 23. Speak over yourself: "My strength is my rest; my value is in His delight."
Dear Heart, the case may be closed, or is it? The parchment might declare that "The Curious Case of the Forgotten Treasure" is solved, but in reality, this is only the beginning.
Have you ever noticed that treasure is never truly lost; it’s merely misplaced, covered, or disguised? The real discovery isn’t about digging something out of the ground, but rather realizing it was already in your hands, waiting to be noticed.
Look again at the shelves before you: Delight, Joy, Peace, Abundance, Enough, Love. These are not distant prizes you have to earn; they are already yours, gifts waiting to be unwrapped each time you remember to abide in the One who delights in you.
Take your satchel, detective, and place today’s clues inside. As you step out of the Chocolate Clue Shop and back onto the cobblestone lane of everyday life, carry this truth with you: in His eyes, a treasured woman is not one who strives to prove her worth. She is someone who knows she is already chosen, already cherished, and already radiant. She nurtures life not by erasing herself, but by overflowing with love and kindness. Her confidence doesn't come from seeking control but from feeling cared for. She carries a quiet abundance that invites others in rather than performing for them.
The greatest treasure has never been forgotten; it has simply been waiting for you to look at it with new eyes.
Until the next case…
