Broken Shells
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” – Hebrews 11:1
I enjoy collecting seashells. For years, I have scoured the shore like a child dressed in a pirate costume with a wry grin on my face and a bucket in my hand, searching for the perfect shell while enthusiastically reminding the Lord of just how much it would thrill me to find treasure.
There were many times when my heart jumped at the sight of a shell floating in or poking out of the sand, as if it had been placed there specifically by God for me! But delight would turn to disappointment as soon as I realized that I was wrong. What I saw was only a broken piece of what was once a beautiful shell. And so, I would toss it back down and keep walking in search of perfection.
And then one day, I sensed the Lord shift the tides of my mind and urge me to slow down because I was missing something important.
I stopped and took a long, hard look at the broken shells in front of me, the ones that I had been dismissing and discarding.
“What am I missing, God, and what do you want me to see?” I asked.
Then I heard Him tell me that these were the treasures that He had placed there specifically for me.
I admit that I was a bit dumbfounded at first. They certainly did not look like treasure.
But I picked one up and studied it carefully. A large piece was missing, but the intense colors of purple, blue, and white which spun together on what remained were absolutely stunning. The delicate edges curved in and out so intricately, indicating a bit about its age and perhaps what it had endured in its journey to shore. It was beautiful.
One by one, I picked up broken shells along the beach and discovered various aspects of beauty in each one.
I realized that beauty is not only found in perfection or wholeness, but many times, it is also found in the broken.
An almost overwhelming feeling of peace and joy flooded my soul, the kind that validates an encounter with His presence and a revelation of truth.
For the rest of the month, I sought only broken shells. And every time I picked one up, I looked for its beauty instead of its flaws.
We live in a broken world. We are all like broken shells being dismissed and discarded by the world.
Some of us have small slivers in otherwise smooth edges that have been gently worn down over time by the natural ebb and flow of life.
Others of us have jagged edges where significant pieces are missing, broken off as a result of passing through a season or two of exceptionally rough waters.
And some of us have been shattered and nearly destroyed by a continual series of violent storms year after year.
Regardless of how broken you are, the beautiful truth is that Jesus can put you back together again. Your Savior is out searching, collecting your broken pieces, seeing their beauty, and placing them at the cross – the place where His body was broken so that yours and mine would be mended, where His blood was shed so that your sins and mine would be forgiven, and where He died so that you and I could live for eternity. His resurrection proves it is true.
We are saved by faith through His grace. As soon as we choose to place our confidence in what we hope for (not what we already have), base our assurance on what is unseen (not what we see), and trust in what we cannot understand (not only things we can prove or explain), we become a new creation in Christ, one with Him and our Heavenly Father.
Mended. Whole. Perfect.
If you are struggling to believe this truth, ask Jesus to help you. He promises to do so. He also promises to turn our broken pieces into something beautiful. And He cannot lie.
Knowing God
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