Pebbles in My Pocket

         I have a jacket that I keep at school for recess duty.  It’s not my best jacket, but it is the warmest and it gets COLD out there!  Several years ago, I had a little boy in my classroom who loved nature.  He loved finding things and had so much knowledge about animals and “outdoorsy” things.  He could see beauty in things I couldn’t…things like snakes and frogs and toads, OH MY!  Lol  Anyways, one day at recess he came over to me with a handful of small pebbles or rocks from our playground.  He was so excited about the treasures he had in his little dirt covered hands!  He was very animated in telling me about the rocks, how hard and how far he had to dig, and asking which one was my favorite.  I chose 2 favorites:  one that was white and a little glittery (imagine that…I picked the glitter!  J) and one that was a pretty shade of green and really smooth, but yet jagged.  He eagerly handed me the rocks…giving me his treasure to keep for my own.  I put the rocks in my pocket and went on with recess.

          To any other kid on the playground they were just rocks.  To me, they were just rocks.  But to that sweet little boy, they were small treasures, rewards from his hard work of searching and digging.  I like to think that we are Jesus’ little rocks.  To the world, I’m just another girl.  You are just another man or woman.  There are millions more like us in the world.  But when God looks down, He doesn’t see our simplicity.  He sees His treasures.  He takes a closer look and sees the jaggedness, notices the glitter, and dusts some of us off.  If we are serving Him, our lives are the rewards of His hard work:  dying on the cross.  He may have to do some searching and digging to find us, but He knows we’re there.

           Those little rocks have been in my recess jacket pocket now for 5 years and that little boy is growing up.  But the thought of his little dirt covered hand holding those treasures, and the way I felt God speak to me in that moment will stay forever!

“As you come to him, the living stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him…”

1 Peter 2:4  NIV

“Almost”

       I was reading about King Agrippa and the sad declaration he made to Paul.  “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”  The word ‘almost’ stands out as a sad word.  To me, it means you’ve reached the end, done everything you can do to achieve something or reach something, but you’ve come up short:  you ‘almost’ made it.

        You see King Agrippa had heard about God.  Paul had told him the story about the baby Savior who had been born.  How He had performed miracles and saved Paul.  How Paul had been called to share the good news and how King Agrippa could also have eternal life by accepting Jesus. 

        King Agrippa knew of all these things that Paul talked about.  He knew in his mind that Jesus was a Savior, but his heart wouldn’t soften.  On an average person, there are approximately 18 inches between the head and heart.  In King Agrippa’s case, there was 18 inches between Heaven and Hell.  He chose Hell.

        I’m so glad that we can choose Heaven.  18 inches seems like a short distance…but one day will turn into an eternity.  When it comes our time to go, I hope that we don’t have to repeat the sad, sad declaration that, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

“Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

Acts 26:28  KJV

M.I.A.

      I love a good shaved ice…who doesn’t?!?  But, I’m particular in where I get them from.  I’ve tried others and they are good, but there’s something about “Hawaiian Dave’s” shaved ice that is SO much better than the rest!  (Those of you who live local probably  know who I’m talking about J)  Anyways, Hawaiian Dave usually sets up his bus in the same spot.  A couple years ago I was in the mood for a Hawaiian Dave shaved ice, so I went looking, and his bus was gone.  Well, I went for days straight back the spot where he usually was and no Hawaiian Dave…never did find him. 

        So last summer, I got my mom in on the search.  We looked EVERYWHERE.  And yes, I am aware of how that makes myself look…stalking a Hawaiian Ice driver…a little crazy, but I’m ok with that!  Lol  No signs of Hawaiian Dave.  I had all but given up when one day mom and I were going somewhere and I spotted his bus!  I screamed, gave mom a heart attack, and made her go back.  I was so excited!  We pulled in and up to the bus and before I could get out, I saw the sign that said “CLOSED”.  SERIOUSLY?!?!?!  I had been looking for this guy for 2 years and he’s CLOESED?!?!  Well, I went back after that, CLOSED.  And again, CLOSED.  The next week, CLOSED.  The week after, CLOSED.  I tried until the end of summer with no luck.  There were no hours on his sign, it just said CLOSED.  This summer, I have continued my search only to find hours posted on the bus.    

        I thought about the Lord.  He has never been MIA.  He has never hung a CLOSED sign out.  He has never moved spots.  He has never posted His hours.  He’s available 24/7.  I don’t have to track Him down…He’s there before I have to go looking.  He’s there before I can whisper His name.  He’s there before I can feel Him sometimes.  He’s ALWAYS there.  I’m so thankful for His promise to never leave us or forsake us.  He has never left me in need or want of anything, and I’m satisfied with that!

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find…for everyone that asks, receives; and he that seeks, finds…”

Matthew 7:7-8  KJV

Something Beautiful From Something Ugly

        John and I stopped at a little jewelry shop in Hawaii to look around.  There, in a bowl were oysters with a sign that said “Pick a Pearl”.  I was going to get some pearl earrings so we thought what better way to do it than to just pick your own.  The store attendant handed me some tongs and I began rummaging through the bowl of water and oysters.  I was looking for a perfect oyster…I didn’t want one of those slimy, yucky ones!  She looked at me and said, “The uglier and hairier the oyster the more beautiful the pearl is inside.” 

        I thought about that in comparison to our walk with the Lord.  When we are sinners, we have so much ugly:  ugly in our hearts, our lives, our minds.  Jesus doesn’t just call the people who haven’t gotten too far out in sin…he calls us all.  In many circumstances, the uglier the person’s life is, the more beautiful He can make it.

        I know the sweetest woman who will tell you herself about her ugly life.  How she tried many different things to complete her life.  She will also tell you that she rarely didn’t have a drink in her hand.  She used language that wasn’t pretty and had a temper that would rise up and she would lash out at people.  But the Lord called her.  He saw her.  He saw all of those things in her life, but most importantly, He looked past it all and saw something He could work with.  Something He could make beautiful.  A person that He could let His love shine through.  A person that He could use to win souls.  A person that He could use to be a Sunday school teacher.  A person that He could use to demonstrate a patience that is comparable to Job’s.  A person that He could use to be a beacon of hope and an inspiration.  A person that He saw beautiful, not only outwardly, but beyond all of the ugly, messy things in her life, He saw an infinite beauty.

        John and I both chose the ugliest and hairiest oyster we saw, and in return opened up two beautiful pearls.  I had it set in a pendent and each time I wear it, I’m reminded that He can make something so beautiful out of something so ugly, if we only let Him work! 

        Thank you, Lord for rummaging through the slimy, yucky, ugly life I had and turning it into something beautiful that You can use! 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:9  KJV

The “Four Seasons”

        When we were on vacation, John was busy booking something or other, so I was browsing through some little shops.  I stopped in one shop and the clerk began making small talk.  I was the only one in the store so she had time to chat.  She was asking questions about what all we had done and were planning to do, where we had gone, and then she asked where we were from, and I answered Ohio.  She said, “Oooh, so you have the 4 seasons??  I would love to see that…I’ve heard it’s beautiful!”  Looking at her confused, I wondered why she was asking about the Four Seasons Hotel…am I really THAT blonde??  Lol! Still confused, I looked at her and said, “Yeah, we have them, but I’ve not stayed at one.”  The confused look on her face mimicked my own and then it dawned on me what she meant the 4 seasons:  summer, fall, winter, spring.  I just laughed and said, “Fall is my favorite.”  I left the shop soon after, lol.

        But the thought dawned on me when I was telling John about what a nerd he had married, lol, that God’s beauty really is EVERYWHERE.  Here that girl was, living and working in a place called “paradise” and she longed to see what I take for granted.  The spring buds and blooms, the beautiful oranges and yellows of fall, the soft sparkling snow of winter.  To me, her world was the prettiest place I’ve ever seen, but to her, my world was full of wonder. 

        Thank you, Lord for making each and every place a masterpiece.  Thank you, Lord for taking the time to create such wonderful details everywhere.  Thank you, Lord for allowing us to experience the amazing works of your hand.  Thank you, Lord the beauty you allow us to see every day, no matter where we are!  Thank you, Lord!

           

“And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

Genesis 1:31  KJV