Tub of Treasures

The closets in our home are filled with plastic tubs. Some of those tubs have holiday decorations, others are filled to the brim with photographs, drawings, letters, receipts, and special mementos from the past.

Recently, I opened a large blue tub and laughed as I observed the contents. Small plastic pieces of various sizes and shapes. The pieces that lock together to make spaceships, race cars, buildings, and anything the mind can create. Extra pieces such as flags, helmets, canoes, alligators, and sharks were also found in the tub. These items have special significance because part of the pieces belonged to my husband when he was a young boy. Others belonged to our son, who is now almost 38 years old. Then, of course, there are new pieces of the building blocks that belong to our almost four years old grandson.

A huge smile covered my face as I thought of all the fingers and hands that have touched these special things. From my husband to our son, to our nephews, to our grandson and his friends, many people have enjoyed building and creating with these pieces. One thing I noticed was that there was a lot of dirt in the tub. The yucky stuff probably came from the scattering of pieces onto the front porch or possibly from the tub being dumped in the backyard at times. When the tub is dumped out, everything is easier to find. So, of course, on a rainy morning, grandson Rowan and I emptied the tub and began thinking of things to create.

We soon learned that building blocks were not the only things in the plastic tub. We found a penny, two marbles, a cough drop that was still wrapped, two toy airplanes, balled up tissues, magnetic letters to place on the refrigerator, and one small gray rock. I marveled at our finds. Rowan was excited to have everything emptied from the tub and to try to walk on the pieces. My feet would not like that, but his young feet could handle the hard stuff. As we looked at each thing and decided what needed to be thrown in the trash, there was an amazement at the found treasures.

A simple action of emptying a plastic tub led to a special conversation. I shared with our grandson that his daddy played with these toys when he was a little boy. Also, that Bop (which is what we call my husband) also played with these things. And now, Rowan can call them his own and he can play with them whenever he visits. We filled a small container with some yellow, red, blue, and white blocks. Taking them outside, I placed a towel and sheet on the front porch. Emptying the container, we sat and chatted as we created cars and trucks and funny creatures. A few of the neighborhood kids noticed us and came to investigate. Soon, the front porch was full of laughter and creativity. Watching each child build something unique was a great highlight of the day. The imagination of the children was wonderful. Pretending time is sometimes the best part of the day. Thinking of this special time and how a plastic tub of blocks brought happiness to our friends and to us, I was reminded how God provides opportunities for us to find His joy in the simple moments of each day. 

Sometimes, the stress of the day is too much and the simple joys pass us by. Have you ever thought you would relax and unwind tomorrow? Perhaps you thought the day was too busy and there would be no time for relaxation until another day. Pause and breathe. Look around. Be alert for the moments God provides for you to find joy. The stress and the worry may still be there, but, when we take time to pause and rest in God’s love, we can find comfort.

On this particular day at our home, comfort and joy were found in an old plastic tub filled with building blocks.

Thank You Lord. Amen.

Blessings,

Melissa Henderson