Walking along the beach I see stones, lots of stones. As I continue to walk I see from a distance one particular stone.  It is not necessarily the best looking stone, but it has caught my eye.  I pick it up, appreciate the beauty in it, and put it in my pocket close to me.

The beauty of stones becomes greater when you put them together, one enhances the other. Dark, light, big and small, together they make a statement, a beauty to behold, simple but profound beach stones.

When I went to pick the stone up I was struck with the thought this was like Jesus Christ, he sees us from a distance and if we are willing He picks us up and puts us close to Him.  He sees the beauty he has placed within and knows how to make it shine.  There is a raw beauty there in the stone, but often the beauty is in the different stones being together.   I pick the stones up and take them home. BEAUTIFUL!   But there is more!

Not only does God pick us up and put us close to him, he knows how to bring out what he has placed in us.

At home I place the stones in a tumbler with other stones, water and some grit and the stones rub against each other with the grit in between.  The water becomes grey and the stones are coated with what looks like a sludge, they are unrecognizable when you look into the tumbler.  I pick them out of the tumbler from time to time, wash them and look to see if the rough edges have been smoothed, then put them back in the tumbler with finer grit.

Finally I put them in with a very fine powder and the final shine takes place.  What a process, but what a beauty is revealed.  Being with others, wanting God’s best for others, through thick and thin is like the tumbling   process.  One needs each other and the process to bring out the full potential that Christ has put within.  But the result is worth it.  For the stones from the beach it takes up six weeks constant tumbling.  With us it is a lifetime.

I can only pick up stones that will fit into my pocket, but God can pick up the whole beach and put it close to His heart. 

As you enjoy and appreciate these humble stones, remember God puts out His hand to pick us up, but unlike the stones we have a  choice to respond to Him and His love for us or not. 

Enjoy the journey and see what beauty God has placed in you and others.  Wow!

Written by Christine C.

The Cornerstone Church, George Town Tasmania  https://cornerstone-georgetown-tas.org.au