May 28th
From One Image to Another
Before my children grew up, and moved away, for years we would go to the Pacific Ocean costal town of Cayucos. (In fact the picture I am presently using on my home page is taken at Cayucos, California, USA showing the pier.)
One of the fun things we did was to look for small pieces of glass on the beach that had had their sharp edges rounded off by the current and sand of the sea. There was green, white, brown and blue ones. But, I must hasten to write that "blue" glass was exceedingly hard to find. The reason being that there are not that many blue bottles made - in comparison to a standard "green coke bottle".
We use to put out rewards for those finding blue pieces of glass!!!
What did we do with the glass? Beside putting them in jars, we sometimes would make pictures. It was like we were painting pictures, but instead of using brushes, we would use glass. We would glue the different color beach glass pieces to a clear framed glass to spell a name.
Every time I see it I am reminded that it seems to be a picture of me. How? Well, there are some rough edges in my life. I'll not mention them, but I think you know what I mean as you examine some of the rough edges in various areas of your life.
I ALSO SEE THE DIFFICULTIES OF THIS YEAR - the experiences that were not as one would like them to be...the heartaches, disappointments, setbacks, etc. things that - well, like "crushed" at the moment can be used to "refine" us, just as the broken bottle pieces are "roughed up" by the ocean bottom current and the surf.
I see in this - THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SEA GLASS. God, through his ever so loving methods is changing me. It is His desire that I look more like the Father. In fact the scripture puts it like this. (2 Cor. 3:18)
"...we are being changed from one glory to another...by the Spirit..."Bottles are thrown overboard - sink and then many broken at the bottom of the sea into various pieces - - rolled, perhaps for miles - - roughed up by the sand and small pebbles, etc. - then washed up on the sandy beach changed. They have gone through a processs of being changed from one image to another. Well, that, my friend is what God is trying to do with us. The very thing through which you are being "roughed up" now by can be very thing that God can use to create someting beautiful out of your life.
May I pray for you?
I ask God, in the name of Jesus, that the beauty of the Lord be seen in this one. May they release a difficulty into your hands for a "change" Let them live and breath Romans 8:29 where You told them, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be CONFORMED TO THE LLIKENESS of His Son. Give them faith to believe that things will work out for the good - that is your promise - to those that love the Lord. Yes, thank you Jesus that we are being changed from one image/glory (the bottle) to something broken to your will and polished for your glory.
Amen