Living on Long Island, NY one of the biggest perks (besides of course the exorbitant taxes and insane traffic) are the beaches. We have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. And although it truly is a long island, stretching some 75 miles or so from west to east, it is actually quite narrow. Traversing it from north to south is pretty easy – about 40 to 60 minutes by car from shore to shore.
And each shore has its own unique beauty and charm. The ocean has its waves and majesty on the South Shore and the sound and many bays are flanked by hills and lush greenery on the North Shore. It is truly a place of beauty.
One of my greatest past-times is walking the beach and collecting sea glass. Each piece I find thrills and fascinates me. You would think I was picking up diamonds. Walking the beach the other day got me to wondering why I find such great pleasure in it. My husband plays along, yet all the while is completely mystified that I can take such delight in something so apparently valueless.
Upon pondering it the other day, here’s what I realized about the mysterious beauty of this broken glass. Glass is created by man from sand that was created by God, for practical and honorable purposes. And yet, so much glass is carelessly broken into sharp shards and littered on the sand from whence it came, carried out to sea and returned to the sand all over again. But after its useful life and careless treatment, it’s not the same anymore. Discarded broken and worthless, the water and waves soften its corners and polish each unique piece into a thing of distinctive beauty. I guess what fascinates me is the whole process. That something so ordinary and broken and cast so casually aside should not be forgotten by God but refined into something no longer useful and practical but simply beautiful.
Isn’t that an analogy of our lives – useful but so often broken into pieces and forgotten? But once cast into the ocean of His mercy, they’re returned as something beautiful. As we strive and stretch, trying to accomplish goals and make our mark in this world, it is a comfort to know that with God, no matter how broken and useless we may feel at the end of the day, His mercy refines us and gives us our true beauty. But… we must have the eyes to see and appreciate.
Allison is also the Founder and President of www.CatholicTherapists.com, and CatholicLifeCoaches.com, which provide nationwide networks of screened and dedicated Catholic therapists and Catholic life coaches.
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