Beautiful Rocks | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Beautiful Rocks | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ellen Janson
02/23/23
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES

“Mommy, mommy, mommy! Look what I found!” my tow-headed six year old was running toward me with two younger brothers chasing after him. A fourth son was squealing in delight - assuming they were all coming to be with him. Andrew opened his hand and revealed a stone the size of a half dollar. It was clearish aquamarine in color. It really was pretty and all of us praised the beauty of his find and wondered aloud what it was. I assured the boys I would watch over this treasure, and after watching me carefully secure it in my pocket, they went back to playing on the beach.

I wish I could find the joy my children have, I thought to myself. My husband had taken a new job, and we had moved to an “unknown land”. I had stayed behind all summer to pack boxes, show our house, and, if I was being honest with myself, to prolong the out of state move. Now we were all together in Michigan, but the two bedroom rental home felt very tight for four young boys. I was so caught up in my own exhaustion, loneliness and worry about the future, that I wasn’t even able to appreciate the very beautiful beach scene right before my eyes.

The sun was beginning to paint the sky pink on its drop into the horizon - dinnertime. I called to the boys, gathered up our towels and toys, and we started our trek back up the long sidewalk toward our rental house. An older woman was walking toward us on the narrow sidewalk, and we exchanged pleasantries.

“Look what I found!” my Andrew boasted as he held out his hand.
“Oh! What a pretty piece of beach glass!” the woman exaggerated her excitement. Our facial expressions must have revealed our confusion as to what she was talking about, and she went on to quickly explain to my boys (and me) what beach glass was.
“It’s actually glass, some from shipwrecks, that has been churned in the waves and smoothed by the sand. It comes in other colors too….there’s green, clear, brown…the most rare color is a pale pink,” she told them. “The best time to find it is in the morning, when the tide is low, and before other people have picked the beach clean,” she yelled over her shoulder as we parted ways.

The boys talked about beach glass all through dinner. Andrew couldn’t wait for his father to get home so he could show him his prize. The others couldn’t wait to tell him about shipwrecks and the many colors of beach glass. I agreed that we would return to the beach tomorrow morning to look for more.

That night when I finally fell into bed and got quiet, I couldn’t stop thinking of the beach glass. God’s peace washed over me as He seemed to say, “you’re just like that beach glass. It might seem like you’re being churned in the waves and scraped by the sand, but I am smoothing your rough edges into something beautiful.” He reminded me of a Bible verse I had recently memorized, 2Corinthians 4:17 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

The next morning, walking down the same sidewalk, I felt like I was seeing the lake with new eyes. It was breathtaking! For the next two hours, while I played in the sand with my littlest guy, each of the others ran to me with their treasures. All of the pieces were smaller than the one Andrew found yesterday, but we now had a beautiful assortment of colors - green, brown and clear.

Twenty years later, we are still looking for a pink piece!

PREVIOUS ENTRY | NEXT ENTRY
SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY FOR THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE

JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.