I’m writing these words to you straight from the ocean.  My chair is on the edge of the water and the waves are lapping at my feet.  I love this spot.  The beach is my favorite place in the world. It’s at the ocean’s edge that I feel so close to God. I feel Him in my heart and in my spirit.  He meets me here.  I hear His power in the waves and I taste His goodness in the salt air.  I love to sit by the ocean and ask God to delight me, to give me a deeper glimpse into His Glory. Every time I ask, He comes through and amazes me every time.

Just after asking God for a blessing of His majesty, I walked out about waist deep and He proved faithful to show me His glory. He sent me a team of dolphins. There they were majestically, strutting God’s stuff.  I was standing waist deep and they were in front of me, just a stone’s throw away. The creatures were magnificent.  His glory was a gift to me this morning. He revealed His glory in the clouds, the sunset, and the birds.  I even found joy in the shells. In fact, I’m an avid shell collector. A close friend of mine calls me “The Shell Whisperer.” I have a gift for finding great shells.  God leaves out no detail in His shells whether big or small.  Some shells I collect look as though God hand- painted them himself.

I found one particular shell yesterday which provoked a thought and a concept to consider.  I gather tons of shells when I come here.  One day my husband asked to see my stash.  “These are neat, but why do you keep the broken ones?” He asked.  “I think they are pretty,” was my response.  This morning I found a big shell. It was broken from the abuse of the ocean.  It was scarred by the barnacles and parasites.  It was discolored from age and from where it had been on its journey.  But, it had character. It wasn’t perfect, but it was beautiful in its own way.

Here’s the truth of it all…that shell reminded me of myself.  It reminded me of how God sees me.  I’m broken in places from relationships that have failed me. I’m scarred from mistakes I’ve made. In addition, I am discolored and tarnished from my journey through my list of sins, my disappointments, my failures, and my hurts.  But I serve a God who sees me as a person of character and looks beyond my broken shell. He chooses to reclaim my past and make good of the bumps and bruises brought on by life and by my own mistakes. He chooses to redeem my past and use me to fulfill His purposes on His Kingdom calendar. Only our God could do such a thing. He sees me as beautiful because I’m covered and redeemed by the blood of his son.  It’s quite unbelievable when we live in a world that finds beauty on the outside.  The world looks for a spotless, shiny, perfect person on the outside – caring little about the inside.  I’m beautiful because I’m forgiven.  I’m a work in progress and God is an expert when it comes to re-constructing lives.

Act 2:28 tells us of God’s promise; “You will give me back my life, and give me wonderful joy in your presence.” The next time you feel broken and beat up by the world, remember that you are beautiful in His eyes. And in reality, His eyes are the only ones that matter. Know you are valued, usable and you are the “apple of His eye.!” – Zechariah 2: 8.