Beauty From Ashes

'The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”' This verse out of Lamentations has been with me lately. We continue to stand in awe of His awesomeness. 

We've taken to spending time hunting for sea glass along the shoreline sometimes instead of actively enjoying the ocean. This has honestly become one of my favorite activities. We are quiet and searching, hoping for a fragment to share with the family. We spend hours cleaning up a beach while looking for tiny treasures to take back with us.

Sea glass is nothing more than broken bottles or other assorted glass fragments that have been caught by the sea. Cast aside by its former owner, the water pummels it, sands scratches and smooths, rough edges are worn away to repurpose this rubbish for new life in the ocean. In reality, it is nothing more than trash, marine debris. But for others, a beautiful treasure.

As I reflect on this, I see God in so many ways. In the quiet still moments of our day, we hear God most clearly. We see the work He has done in our lives. When we focus on Him, the world fades to a distant rumble and we can actively pursue God's plan. And the joy of finding such treasure! The victory of knowing we trudged through until we caught hold of the perfect piece, this is the victory of our purpose in Him. 

Sea glass is beauty from the ashes and again and again I find my life a reflection of this. My rough edges are being slowly smoothed away. What I thought was my purpose in life is merely a stepping stone and I continue to be repurposed. As will you will. You are sea glass, beauty from ashes. To rise again with new purpose, the rough and worn edges smoothed away and given new life. Maybe it will take multiple attempts to find your place in God's plan, but just think of the beautiful, chaotic, tumultuous, worthwhile journey.