“Sometimes the things we want most in life are closer than we think, but we’re so busy searching elsewhere that we don’t even see them.”

–Unknown– 

I was asked the other day whether I had ever read the book, “Acres of Diamonds”, by Russell Cromwell.  I said I had read it years ago, and I proceeded to tell the story as best I could.  A couple of nights ago, I decided to pull out my copy and read the story again.  Its message is so powerful that I thought I would dedicate some time to it here.  The book is a classic, and if you ever get a chance, I recommend picking up a copy for yourself.

The book is a true story about a farmer who lived in Africa and through a visitor became very excited about looking for diamonds.  It seems that diamonds were in abundance all over the African continent.  This farmer got so excited about finding his fortune in diamonds that he sold his farm and headed out to search for the precious stones.  For years he wandered all over the continent searching for diamonds, but he never found a single one.  Eventually this farmer went completely broke and threw himself into a river and drowned.

Meanwhile, the new owner of the farm was outside one day and picked up an unusual looking rock about the size of a large egg.  He liked the way the rock looked so he brought it inside and put it on his mantle.  A few days later a friend stopped by the farm.  When the friend saw the rock on the mantle, he almost had a heart attack.  He told the new owner of the farm that the funny looking rock on the mantle was about the biggest diamond that had ever been found.  The new owner of the farm said, “Heck, the whole farm is covered with them!”  The new owner was right.  The farm turned out to be the Kimberly Diamond Mine…the richest mine the world has ever known.  The original farmer was literally sitting on “Acres of Diamonds” when he sold the farm.

Sometimes we are all guilty of being too busy looking all over the place for our fortune in diamonds, and we miss the diamonds right under our feet.  God has a way of putting us where we’re supposed to be in life whether we realize it or not.  We spend so much time searching everywhere else for the things we desire that we miss out on the goodness He has placed all around us.  It’s important to realize that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence.

I challenge you to take some time to notice the diamonds you have in your life right now.  Don’t be like the farmer and miss out on something you already own.  Nothing is worse than having to live with regrets later on in life.  Be happy where you’re at, and search in your own back yard for the things that you desire.  You may be surprised to find your own “Acres of Diamonds”.