This last weekend I was with my best friend, my nephew and my daughter. We were bike riding and stopped at an area by a local river. Everyone began to pick up rocks and start skipping them on the water trying to see how many skips on the water we could get. This went on for awhile as we enjoyed the beautiful weather and scenery. Pretty soon my best friend, who is familiar with that area walked over and handed me, what I though was going to be rocks. When I looked at the handful of shells my mouth fell open. I had no idea you would be able to find shells on this particular river. He pointed out an area to me that they were scattered. I was shocked. I then teased him about a time when our families were somewhere, and he had told me I would find shells and did not...not a one. Told him that "This was your way of making it up to me right?!", followed by laughter and him reminding me I had been in the wrong place is the reason I didnt find any.
Now that I knew what to look for in this current location, I began to spot various pieces of shells...big shells. At one point we both began digging in the dirt like little amatuer archiologists. Although we were not aware until a few minutes later we were both doing the same thing and digging at what appeared to be LARGE shells for that area. I got the one I was digging out at first, and it was a broken, but large piece of a side of a shell. He continued to dig and pretty soon he said, "I think I have a whole shell, with both sides intact". That indeed got my attention. Sure enough, he pulled up a large and intact shell that was covered in dirt, immediately followed by him saying "There might be a dead animal in there". He then quickly handed it to me. It was heavier than what I expected, and I was sure there was something gross inside.
Again, the Lord used this visual to remind me of the work He does in us. His goal for our lives is to live in the freedom that He sent His son to die on the cross for.
Shells get tossed around in the water, waves, and weather. This one in particular had gotten buried on the shore, and when found was full of dirt and deadness until it was rinsed out.
Sometimes in our own lives we deal with circumstances, of our own doing or someone elses, that causes us to be tossed and turned, or feel buried. It can cause scratches, brokeness, and dirt in our lives that we have to deal with......eventually.
Last summer I went to counseling because I was ready to deal with some yuck that had been forced in an area of my life years ago, and had not been dealt with. Instead, I had buried it. It was affecting me deeply and how I looked at myself, as well as how I responded to those I love. It caused me to believe lies that the enemy had fed me for years because of the dirt placed there.
I can look back though, and watch how the Lord used that time of tossing and turning I had been through, to peel away layers and refine me. Remember, He works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). I, however, still had some work to do to get some things on the inside cleaned out that had been buried. I had to get to a point of being willing to be cracked open, and rinse out some of the dirt and the dead things that still existed and affected other parts of me. Im not going to lie, it was hard and painful at times, and hurt to crack that back open and expose it, but it was necessary and needed to be dealt with. In order to get to the place where we are existing in the freedom God intends, we need to be willing to be cracked open and expose the yuck that may exist, and deal with it. Sometimes its dirty, extremely unpleasant, and takes some scrubbing.....but the inside....woah...the beautiful inside.... ;)
Some people may look at a shell and only see the peeling, dirty, scratched up, weathered, and knicked up parts. Others, however, can see right past that, straight to its pearly essence that God created and intended. It is all in the perspective in which you are looking - the eye of the beholder. People will only see from their level of perception.
Every person has dealt with circumstances and may have scars, and stories of how it all came to be. Some people will be in your life and will only see your circumstances, battles, faults, stuggles, or imperfections, but God will send people to cross your path who will see the beauty behind all of that. They will see the pearly shiny YOU, all along, that God created you to be. You will not have to convince them of your worth. They will cheer you on, and love you through the peeling, cracking open, exposing of the yuck. All the while encouraging you through the cleansing and scrubbing, as they watch God heal you, as you emerge into more and more of what they have always been able to see......who God created you to be...the treasure of you.
What is holding you back? Is there anything keeping you from emerging into the freedom that God created for you? Are there areas that need exposing and cleaned out? It's not that God doesn't already see it, nothing is hidden from Him. The cleansing process can be messy and difficult, but His resume of faithfulness in your life is THICK. Ask God to show you the broken places, the places that need irrigating and cleansing, and trust the process. He will not fail you.
"He has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecc. 3:11
“Behold, I am making all things new.” Rev. 21:5
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt. 11:28-30
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