Yesterday, as Merritt and I walked along the beach, we were searching for seashells to take home – souvenirs to remember our much anticipated beach trip. I was hoping and searching for the perfect shell. I know a perfect shell is hard to find... as its journey to the shoreline is a rough one. Merritt, being the artistic, vivacious, curly headed six year old that she is, had filled both of my hands with broken pieces of shell- large, small, full of holes, jagged edges – not one piece like the other. Merritt would say, “Look mama, this one looks like the fin of a fish…. and oh, this one looks like a shark's tooth. Oh, yeah this one…….mmmmmm (she flips it upside down and studies it for a moment) looks like a smile, see!” She holds it up to me, certain I see the same thing. I did but it took me a minute. She was so excited as she shared her plans to turn these shells into something “really neat”.
At one point I said, "Merritt, don’t try to keep all of these broken pieces. Wouldn’t you rather have…….” I stopped in mid sentence. She looks up at me, pushing her wiry, salt filled hair back with her sandy hand to ask, “Have what mama?” “Nothing” I said “…You’re exactly right, that one looks just like a smile." She looked up and flashed her best smile at me before she forged ahead with her search.
At one point I said, "Merritt, don’t try to keep all of these broken pieces. Wouldn’t you rather have…….” I stopped in mid sentence. She looks up at me, pushing her wiry, salt filled hair back with her sandy hand to ask, “Have what mama?” “Nothing” I said “…You’re exactly right, that one looks just like a smile." She looked up and flashed her best smile at me before she forged ahead with her search.
To see through the eyes of a child - the faith she had in those broken pieces to be something beautiful. She didn’t just believe they could be, she was so excited because she could see what they would be!
Immediately my thoughts shifted to my heavenly Father. We’re so busy trying to find the perfect life, the perfect situation, the perfect job, the perfect marriage – to be the perfect parent, the perfect friend, even the perfect child of God. If we would just give him our broken pieces, he promises to return to us a one of a kind masterpiece that he designed before he set the earth into the sky. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Psalm 33:6-7.”
It’s not often that we arrive at the shores in our life without a break. The pressures of life bore holes and the crashing waves of circumstance leave us chipped and imperfect. It’s a good thing he’s not looking for perfection. He’s looking for brokenness. A willingness to be fashioned and made beautiful. God is not a man. He cannot lie. There is beauty in brokenness. He makes all things work together for our good.
It’s not often that we arrive at the shores in our life without a break. The pressures of life bore holes and the crashing waves of circumstance leave us chipped and imperfect. It’s a good thing he’s not looking for perfection. He’s looking for brokenness. A willingness to be fashioned and made beautiful. God is not a man. He cannot lie. There is beauty in brokenness. He makes all things work together for our good.
Help me, Lord, to give you my broken pieces.
In you they trusted and were not disappointed…Psalm 22:5
