My husband and I spent last week at Orange beach in Alabama. Most of our days were spent relaxing on the beach. Several mornings included a walk along the shore, taking in the fresh morning air and the sunrises God masterfully painted in the sky. One morning as we walked, not necessarily looking for seashells but noticing them as we walked and picking up those that caught our attention, I was struck by the variety. Some shells were so tiny, you might not even notice them if you weren’t looking, others were small but noticeable, while others were a bit larger and easier to spot. Many were almost translucent white, which caused the early morning sunlight to make them glisten and stand out in the sand. Some shells were white, some yellow, others dark brown, black or gray, a few were even multicolored. The larger shells tended to be visibly broken, scared or chipped in some way. While the smaller ones were more complete, although even they were not without blemish.
One of the things I love about early mornings outside is how near God seems. Nature has always had this effect on me and this trip was no exception. God’s voice somehow seems clearer and easier to hear when I’m in His creation. Each wave that crashed to the shore brought more shells. Some were deposited on the sandy shore, while others were taken back and buried just under the surface. Looking over the shells as we walked, the thought echoing in my head was “hey Lori, aren’t these shells a lot like people”.
The ocean waves that bring these shells to the surface are much like the waves of life and the people they bring into our churches and lives each week. Think about it for a minute- the people who walk through our church doors every week come in all sizes, colors, and ages. While perhaps a few of our youngest attenders are unblemished and unscarred, my guess is that every child and adult bear some scars and blemishes brought about by life in this world. How often do we stop or slow down long enough to even notice them?
The Bible tells us that God created all things and that nothing is hidden from Him. He created those seashells, He knows what caused their scars and brokenness, in the same way He created each one of us and knows what caused our scars and brokenness. Consider Psalms 139, it tells us that God knows our comings and goings, our ways and our words, our travels and our rest. It also tells that He knit us together in our mother’s womb and that all of our days were written in His book before we ever were! The things in our lives that have broken and scared were never hidden from God, He has always known. Verses 17-18 say “God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is! If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with you.”. You see, not only does God know all about our broken parts, He also knows about the waves of life that are necessary to bring us to Him! Jesus explains this idea in John 9:3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him.”.
As much as we hate the scars and brokenness that this world creates in us and in those we love, we would be remiss if we don’t acknowledge that God is way smarter than us and He has a plan! One that may not make sense to us but one that is absolutely necessary. Just like ocean waves bringing shells to the shore, the waves of life often are what bring us to our Savior and humble us to the point of acknowledging that we need Him (Psalms 51:17). The thing we must remember is that we are never alone! Psalms 147:3 tells us that “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages all their wounds”.
Just as the bright sunshine caused the smallest shells to glisten in the early morning sun, the light of God has a similar effect on us as we submit to his light and authority. Our lives can begin to shine and glow in His reflection.
Captivated Hearts 