I had started a habit of collecting shells while walking with the Lord on the beach. My plan was to decorate the railing of the walkway getting to the beach for all to enjoy. Each day I would add more. How delighted I was to find a shell much larger than any other I had seen.
“It’s broken!” I exclaimed aloud to my beloved special needs dogs Miss Mercy and Gracie who collect shells with me sometimes.
I planned to toss the shell back on the sand. But God stopped me.
“But it’s beautiful!” I said joyfully. He had shown me the beauty of the shell despite its brokenness. And He had a message for me to share with my readers.
If only we would see the beauty of people and not want to toss them down, aside, and away because of their brokenness and imperfections. If only we would see their beauty despite their shortcomings, disabilities, challenges, shortfalls, inadequacies, ugliness, and any and all ways in which they do not measure up to our and society’s expectations, standards, desires, etc.
I was thrilled to keep that shell and to add it to all the other shells God created on the wood railing. All beautiful. All made by God.
God made us all you know. And He commanded us all to love each other.
I desire exceedingly to learn to love the way God desires. Like He does. Seeing beauty even in broken shells and broken people. Broken and imperfect just like you and I are.
I wish you could have seen that broken but beautiful shell. But more than anything I wish you would join me in learning to love the Lord Jesus Christ and to love and enjoy the beauty of the people God created.
I love these verses. Please be encouraged and inspired in reading them!
“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV
“And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 NKJV
“Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE. AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”” Mark 12:29-31 NKJV