And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 NASB
The water shimmers like diamonds on the Indian Ocean. My teaching year in Kenya is halfway over. It’s time for vacation.
“I found more shells!” I holler to Christ, as I splash around in the low tide. I’m collecting them. Broken ones, Ugly. Small. Small and ugly broken ones. Any shells I can find.
I’d taught this past semester, every day seeing a gorgeous conch shell on the principal’s desk – the biggest shell I’d ever seen, and it was from this beach. What are the chances I can find that kind of shell? I had thought. On the bright side, I could find a lot of little ones. I couldn’t wait to go on this trip to start my collection, and here I am.
“Hey, Chris, want to check out those rocks?”
“Sure,” he answers.
We walk, zigzagging between tide pools. The crabs part like the Red Sea as we approach our destination. Chris climbs the rocks, and I become intrigued with the little shells once again.
“Hey, Cassi, look at this!” I run over to him, and behold, Christ has a shell. The shell. His grapefruit-sized beauty shines in the sun like a trophy. I’m jealous. Sigh. He had never even looked for shells, so how does he end up with the biggest one?
My jealousy seems silly, but maybe this isn’t about a shell. Throughout life, I’ve repeatedly searched for my answers. I end up settling for second best. The ugly side of a situation. Small dreams. Broken relationships. My self-image is painted in a skewed light because of guilt from the mistakes I’ve made. If I look deep enough, maybe I can relate to these small, ugly, broken shells, because they resemble who I think I am – or what I deserve. But you know what? God will meet all of my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ – my healer and provider. There is no broken heart, ugly past, or small hopes and dreams that He can’t change into something beautiful and enriching. All we have to do is trust.
That day I prayed for a special shell – no more settling. God sent me the perfect one 30 minutes before our departure – a gift from a stranger on the beach. All I had to do was wait.
Altogether Lovely ©2014 by Review and Herald Publishing Association