Last month we spent a few days at my parent’s beach house on the Hood Canal. One of our favorite past-times on the Canal is beach combing. We usually each pick a different treasure to hunt—this time Zoe chose sea glass. I love sea glass, so I happily helped her hunt. I love the smooth, rounded edges, the pretty colors and the way the light is reflected. But treasuring beach glass seems ironic. Its trash. I wouldn’t pick up a piece of broken glass on the street, but I can’t resist if its on the beach!
As Zoe searched and carefully added each piece to her growing mosaic, I couldn’t help but think of how God values us. We are much like treasured pieces of sea glass.
At times you may feel like fragile glass that has been tossed in the waters. You wash up on an unknown shore, and endure the crashing waves, over and over again. You may have moments that you feel will break you. Or moments you want to get back out to the open water to avoid it all. And yet, God keeps you there for a purpose. To turn you into a treasured gem, beautiful, refined, something of value, that reflects the light beautifully.
We aren’t always sure how we will endure different circumstances in our lives. But I am reminded with each piece in Zoe’s collection, that a shard of discarded trash can become something beautiful and valuable. God is doing the same with me. He is refining me. Smoothing the rough edges that can bring harm. He values me and with each wave, I am becoming more of who I was created to be.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,
whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Let perseverance finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
~ James 1:2-4
