Cindy Powell

This world is full of secret treasure. Treasures swallowed up by shadows. Treasures shrouded by obscurity. Treasures buried in pain.

Treasures hidden in darkness.

These treasures don’t  look the way you might expect them to look. And they’re not found where you might expect them to be found.

But make no mistake, the treasure is there. Often hiding in plain sight. Waiting to be seen by those with eyes to see. Waiting to be heard by those with ears to hear.

Waiting for true worth to be revealed.

These treasures have names.

They have faces.

They have stories.

And their stories need to be told. 

Because they’re worth it.

Despite all this world has stolen from them, they have value. Despite the darkness they’ve endured, they have dignity. Despite the shame that has ensnared them, they are honored …

In His eyes.

Because they’re His treasures. 

I’ve met some of these treasures …  refugees … street kids … children sold into sex slavery by their own parents … young women lured into the trap of prostitution because they have no other means of supporting their desperately needy families.

Their circumstances and stories are as unique as each individual, but the common thread is their great value. Their great worth. Even in a world that uses them up and tosses them away, they are priceless in the eyes of their Creator.

And they are known by Him.

You need to know them too.

Because Jesus never forgets them. They are never out of His sight. They are never out of His thoughts. Not one of them. Ever. They are His treasures …

His treasures hidden in darkness.

I wish I had more time with them. I wish I had learned enough about each one to share their stories.  Their real stories. The inconvenient stories. The no-so-nice stories. The stories that may leave you feeling more sick than inspired. Even the shocking and horrifying stories.

Because each of us has a real story. And the real stories of these priceless treasures hidden in the darkness …

Need to be brought into the light. 

I’ll be honest, I don’t really have a clue how to do that. I’m not at all sure I can do that. But I need to do something, because their stories have gripped my soul. Their stories have broken my heart.  I’ve looked into their eyes and I’ve seen them. My heart has been pierced by their silent cries and I’ve heard them.

Their stories have invaded my nice tidy little world and I simply can’t allow it to remain the same.  I can’t go back to pretending I don’ t see or hear. 

Will you pray with me? Will you hope with me? And as He moves on your heart, will you respond with me?

Together we can tell the world. Together we can discover and share their stories. And together we can finally bring these treasures hidden in darkness  …

Into the light. 

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I’ve just returned from an intense and impactful trip to SE Asia. There are many things God is stirring in my heart and, at this moment, I’m not sure what shape they will take. As a result, I’m not sure what direction blogging will take in the future. I just know I need to do something and part of that “something” will very likely involve writing. That’s about as far as I’ve gotten at the moment. I very much appreciate your prayers for clarity and focus in the days ahead.

For more information on how you can take a stand against modern-day slavery, check out this post from a few months back. I hope to be compiling even more info and setting it up as a permanent page on this site in the near future.