What kid doesn’t like going on a treasure hunt? I know I loved it! I enjoyed making up treasure hunts for my kids when they were little, too. Pre-readers got a series of little pictures, like a plant with an x at the base, where they’d find the next clue. I’m no great artist (like my daughter!) but somehow the kids figured out what I drew. Later we went to simple words, and later, riddles and clues.
Ah, treasure.
In this digital age, geocaching is the newest high tech treasure hunt. People hide containers (often plastic with a tight seal) that contain a little notebook and pencil as well as a few trinkets. Then they mark the GPS (global positioning system) coordinates on a geocaching website, perhaps with a few clues as to how to find the cache when the searcher is close. Folks use their GPS units to get into the right area, which is often within 6-10 meters (depending on how many satellites are in the area), but then have to find the cache based on the clues and their own good eyesight. The rule of thumb is that you sign in and can remove an object from the cache and add one in, preferably nothing that will attract wildlife.
It can be a lot of fun, and Jim and I have discovered some unique geological formations and historical spots in our area since we started geocaching a couple of years ago. Ancient pictographs, Chinese rock ovens, and a lighthouse on the lake we’d never had occasion to hike into before.
This reminds me of how we pour ourselves into certain aspects of our lives: God, family, health, writing, work. For some people the list might contain sports, hobbies, clubs. We’re seeking the treasures from these relationships and activities. But as the old saying goes, you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Are all the things we focus on in our lives worthy of ‘treasuring’?
Matthew 6:19-21 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
What are your treasures?
Ah, I was the kid who didn’t like those things. I still hate when I lose my keys or cell phone. I’ve got limited depth perception so finding things has always been difficult. I like to color code things so I look for color. 🙂
Glad you guys had such a great time with it! It sounds like a wonderful time. 😀
Losing keys or cell phone isn’t at all the same thing as hunting for treasure! I think the fun of a treasure hunt is that it’s optional (though in a novel there would have to be repercussions if the treasure wasn’t found, of course!), so there’s not the same pressure as being late for an appointment and being unable to find the keys.
My depth perception isn’t the greatest, either. The geocaching is really Jim’s thing–he and the dog usually do the actual locating of the cache!