1 Peter 5:10 “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.“
In Northern California there is a town on the coast called Fort Bragg. In the early twentieth century, the residents of Fort Bragg would dump their trash over the cliffs that were owned by the Union Lumber Company. This idea seems so foreign to us because we now understand the damage we would be doing to our oceans. During this time they would dump glass, appliances and even vehicles. In 1967 the city leaders decided enough was enough. They soon started a cleanup program to correct the damage. They managed to pick up the larger items, but left the broken glass and pottery to be washed away into the sea. As time has gone by, the pounding of the waves caused the glass and pottery to break. It not only caused them to break, but as they tumbled in the waves, they turned into small smooth colored stones. This beach has now been named Glass Beach.
Over the years people have gone to Glass Beach and have collected many of these beautiful pieces of glass. These broken pieces of glass and clay that were once thrown off a cliff as trash have been transformed. People have spent their time gathering and creating beautiful pieces of art with these transformed pieces of trash. They also have been wrapped in wire and ribbon. These can be found adorning many women as necklaces, bracelets and earrings. All of this is made possible by the waves catching the glass and pottery and throwing them over and over again in the sand. The broken glass and clay have been hammered for years in the surf to become smooth colored stone. God’s hand is at work through the wind and waves to create this beautiful transformation. These discarded items have gone from trash to treasures.
How many times in our lives have we felt discarded? We feel like we don’t matter and our life has no purpose. We can feel forgotten and lonely. What is even worse is when we feel like God has forgotten us. I have never felt more alone than after the loss of my daughter. We were surrounded by family and friends who reached out and loved on us, yet I never felt more alone. I felt like God had allowed my life to be tossed over a cliff. How would I ever become useful again? I felt like my life would now be a wasteland full of grief and pain. The loss of my daughter was difficult, but the hammering that took place inside my being was at times more than I could handle. Just like the broken glass I was tossed and turned into the waves of grief. It was during this time that the Lord was slowly and carefully preparing me for what He had planned for me. I did not see how I could go on without my daughter. What I did not comprehend is that He was restoring me the minute my world fell off that cliff. He was with me in the turbulent time I spent in the waves of grief. God was at work. He was in the pounding of the wind and the waves. He was walking with me each and every time I was knocked down and hammered by the overwhelming seas of grief. He was there watching and waiting as I emerged, ready to be transformed. Do you feel like you are in turbulent seas? Know that He is there. He is smoothing your edges and bringing a new transformation to you. Hang on, don’t give up. Stand on His promise of restoration. Even when we don’t have the energy or the desire, we have the promise. He himself will restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. Watch and see what a beautiful stone you will become.
Lord, you yourself will restore us. We just need to be open and willing.
- Michele
