Seeking Treasureland
A story by Jill Eileen Smith


Chapter Two

Darkness covered the dusty path and Pastor Winston led the three children into the shelter of a deep cave. They huddled, shaking from the cold until Pastor Winston coaxed a flame to crackle in the fire pit.

As the heat replaced the chill, Pastor Winston emptied his pack of bread, nuts and raisins and divided them among the children. Then slowly, as warmth spread over them, the boys sprawled on the hard earth and slept, but Chelsea snuggled against Pastor Winston, worrying about her sister.

In the morning, as the sun's rays crested the horizon, a flutist's trill came from a corner of the cave. Chelsea blinked, rubbing her blurry eyes, then crept toward the sound. There, pulsing with golden light lay their next truth nugget.

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

"Pastor Winston, the truth nugget is singing!" Mark's excited voice came from behind and Chelsea turned to see the others peering over her shoulder.

"Yes," Pastor Winston said, stretching his arms over his head. "I told you on our journey to Treasureland the truth nuggets aren't always what you think they'll be."

"What does it mean?" Manuel asked, bending to tie his blue sneakers.

"It means," Pastor Winston explained, "that seeking God takes everything we have. We can't say I'll be a Christian part of the time, or when it's convenient for me. It means 'loving the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' God wants all of us. You can't be a part-time God seeker."

"But where do we find Him, Pastor Winston?" Mark asked. "Isn't memorizing Bible verses enough?"

"Memorizing Bible verses is great. God wants us to 'hide His Word in our hearts'. But if we don't believe what we hide there, we haven't really found Him."

As Pastor Winston's words echoed through the cave's interior, Chelsea was drawn to the warmth of an oil lamp toward the rear of cave. Tiptoeing, with Mark behind her, the two followed the glow as the sound of laughter floated toward them.

As they approached, Chelsea's nose curled at the stinky barnyard smell, while her eyes adjusted to the lantern light. There, nestled on a layer of hay was a mother and a blanket-wrapped baby. The mother tickled the baby's soft middle and chuckled as the infant stretched and cooed beside her. In a corner, a young man bent over a cooking fire.

"Joseph, come see our baby," the woman said, with a gentle smile. "Isn't he beautiful this morning?"

The man stirred the mixture in the pot, straightened, turned and knelt at their side, admiring the child. "Your son is gorgeous, Mary. A gift from God."

"He's our son," Mary corrected quietly. "God chose you to raise him, too, my husband."

Joseph glanced down at the infant. "He looks like you, Mary." He stroked the baby's cheek with his finger. "His skin is so soft." He looked at Mary and smiled.

Mary's laughter reminded Chelsea of bells, and she watched in wonder as Joseph and Mary looked into the eyes of their son and sighed.

"Do you think he knows what's ahead for him--I mean, he is God's son, after all," Joseph asked.

"I don't know," Mary said slowly. "I think…I think maybe he's like all babies--totally dependent on us to care for him. But someday he'll know. Someday, he'll know why he was sent to us."

Chelsea stared, unable to pull away from the scene before her and Mark stood stock still at her side. Pastor Winston's touch on her shoulder drew her back to the cave.

"Is it really Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus?" Chelsea whispered, afraid they might overhear her. "Can they see us?"

"On this journey we can glimpse the past," Pastor Winston said in normal tones, yet Joseph and Mary did not turn to look. "You are seeing it much as it happened 2000 years ago."

"Is this a good place to start 'seeking Him with all our hearts'?" Manuel asked, coming up beside them.

"The manger leads to the cross," Pastor Winston told them. "It is a very good place to start."

* * *


Sarah stood in the forest clearing considering the words of the princely stranger. And as he stepped closer, she placed her hand in his.

"You will take me to my friends, won't you?" She squared her shoulders, forcing her fear aside.

"I said so, didn't I?" The man's wide smile warmed her. Surely she could trust him. She glanced at the glittering pile of truth nuggets.

"Take a handful of them and stuff them in your pockets. It will save us the trouble of looking for them along the way," he said as if reading her thoughts.

He released her hand and she walked over to the small mound picking a dozen of the prettiest stones. She would read the verses later. Standing, she dropped the nuggets into the pockets of her jeans and turned to walk toward the man, her fear surprisingly gone.

She smiled into his handsome face. "You never told me your name," she said, as she followed him toward a smooth, paved road.

"Didn't I?" The man laughed outright, making Sarah laugh with him. "I am called Angel of Light, Prince of the Earth. But you can call me Prince. Now let's go, shall we?"

* * *


As Sarah's white tennis shoes touched the surface of the wide road, she felt her feet sink into the soft, cushioned surface. The road felt more like rabbit's fur and reminded her of thick, floppy slippers on cold winter floors.

"This road is easy to travel." Sarah's heart lightened until she felt almost giddy. "When will we find my friends?"

"You'll be able to see them traveling below us shortly." Prince waved his hand toward the right. Sarah turned her head but couldn't see anything except lush meadows and a gurgling stream. This path held a beauty she could get used to. And after all, the sign did say "Treasureland". Who said that Pastor Winston was right about the gates anyway?

They walked in silence for several minutes, Sarah drinking in her new surroundings. Chelsea would be so mad when she found out how easy this could be. They could skip and run or sing and play and never worry about finding truth nuggets or tripping over rough boulders on that narrow path.

Still, searching for the truth nuggets had been kind of fun, like an adventure or a mystery. Sudden discontent made Sarah feel itchy. She needed to do something, not just walk along so smoothly.

"Shouldn't we look for some truth nuggets or something?" Sarah glanced at Prince, wondering at the strange twinkle in his eye.

"Bored already, princess?"

Princess? She liked that.

"I told you before you already have all the nuggets you need. And now that you've found them, you can do as you please. Nothing can take the nuggets away or snatch you out of their hand."

Prince's smile seemed genuine. His words sounded so familiar almost like a Bible verse she'd heard or read. But it seemed so long ago, and her memory was becoming blurred in Prince's presence. Shrugging her shoulders she pushed her uneasiness aside.

But after what seemed like hours, Sarah began to complain. "Aren't we there yet? When will we find my friends? I want to go home."

Prince dropped Sarah's hand and pulled her off the path to the edge of a cliff. "There, see!" he said pointing. "Your friends are going the same direction only they're doing it the hard way."

Sarah watched in amazement. Sure enough, there were Pastor Winston, Chelsea, Manuel and Mark trudging relentlessly on the narrow path toward the cross. "Chelsea, Pastor Winston, I'm over here," Sarah shouted, waving her hands over her head.

"They can't hear you," Prince said, his voice smooth as oil. "The air on this journey is so heavy that it blocks their hearing."

"Then how will I get to them?" A knot of fear tied Sarah's stomach.

Prince pulled Sarah away from the cliff. "Further down the road is a worship house. Both roads meet there. You can speak to them then."

"You mean a church?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," Prince said, a muscle jerking in his jaw. "But come, I have a gift for you."


Continue to Chapter 3