Shells
I was able to have some time away with my husband recently. Every morning we walked on the beach. As we were walking on the beach there were so many shells in the sand. More shells than I have ever seen before. I assumed this was because of a storm the prior night. At first we just walked looking at and admiring all the different shells, but after a while I could not resist the urge to start gathering all the beautiful shells. As we began to pick up the shells I noticed that each shell was different, beautiful, unique in its own special way, but all made by God. I noticed that some were large, some were smaller, some were pink, some were black, some were white, some were broken, some were smooth and some were rough around the edges. Can you picture them? As I looked at all the different shells I began to see a resemblance that we are like shells. The apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 1, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” From what I understand Paul was encouraging the people of Colossae to remember that “the blood of Christ” has reconciled all. I think Paul is striving to curb the tendencies that we all can easily fall into. Things like self comparison and greed. Or maybe it’s yelling at your children when you’ve had a long day. I know I struggle with patience when I’m tired and expect a quicker or different outcome of a task. Friends, we all have areas where we struggle. I’m here to tell you that God as made us all with special gifts. Some maybe the same, but most will be different. The beauty comes when we help lift each other up so that God can be glorified. Rather than shifting our gaze horizontally to look at others, let’s keep it focused upwards. Where do you find yourself being challenged today?
We must remember that we are all unique in our own ways and ALL made by God our creator. Again in Ephesians, Paul talks about how we should live in unity with one another. He instructs that we should get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, slander and brawling, along with every form of malice. He states we should be kind and compassionate to one another forgiving each other just as Christ forgave us. While I realize people are a lot more complex than shells, wouldn’t it be nice if some aspects of our lives could resemble the shells on the beach?..all different, but all together. God picks each of us up and keeps us. We are all uniquely made to serve a purpose while in His hands. Let’s try to stay focused on our purpose and God’s plan for our life and worry less about others. We can then step back and see the “beauty on the beach,” paying attention to what unites us rather than what divides us.
Heavenly Father– you are sovereign.. Thank you for loving each of us right where we are at. Lord, we don’t deserve this unconditional love. Father, thank you for giving each of us a special purpose. Lord, guide us on how you want us to use this for your Kingdom. Help us to stand firm in our values, but continue to love others even when someone is different because you love us. Let us reflect your love and be your light. Amen