Today I was thinking about all the hardships I might have to face in the near future. Doctor's appointments (which I hate) tests, unknown results, moving, etc, etc. As I was thinking about the various things coming my way and I was walking and saw this particular rock and picked it up. Ha ha ha. Anyone that knows me well, would laugh and not be surprized that my mind goes to rocks.
I love rocks for some reason. I have had people look at me funny when I said that I pick up rocks when they call to me. I said that the other day, and a friend of Christy just looked at me like I was crazy and asked "Rocks talk to you?" I told him, "NO! I just get a feeling that the rock is special in someway because what it looks like. Some are pretty to look at. Some are unsual. Some are just plain, but it reflects something in my life that I might have to learn how. I know it seems odd, but I am not reading into the rocks or anything. I just really like rocks for some reason. I always have. It is part of my personality. And God knows that.
As I was going to say, I remember reading at one time about two different articles of 5 stones of faith. One was very Catholic: Prayer, Fasting, Mass/Church ( since I am no longer a practicing Catholic, ha ha ha. . .not a Catholic at all anymore. I changed it to Church), Bible and Confession. I gleaned the right information from it and discarded the rest.
The other one was based on the 5 stones of David, which I loved so I really allowed that to sink in. Those 5 stones were: Faith, Obedience, Service, Prayer and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The article is here: http://www.byui.edu/Presentations/transcripts/devotionals/2001_07_10_mcgary.htm
The other article I will not post, because since I am no longer a Catholic, I will not subject people to reading something that might lead them astray, possibly confuse them or even judge me to not be a true born again Christian. At least I can see a glimmer of truth within all the statements that other Catholics post. And it was this such article, that stressed particular focuses, which was which were some main points in Jesus' teachings so I gleaned what God wanted me to use when I read it.
But again, I regress it wasn't the reason why I picked up the rock. It was what God moved in my heart to pick up the rock and what He was trying to show me. This is what He wanted me to see.
As you can see in the photo, the rock I picked up, I could see that it was very jagged and uneven. It doesn't have much beauty in it, but yet, it still has its place, its purpose in many ways.
God molds us, shapes us and hones us with hardships and tribulations. It is what I saw in the rock. It is harsh looking and ragged, but with God's polish, it can be made into a very beautiful jewel. I am very much like that rock is so many ways. I am harsh looking with my stubborn-ness and from the inside, I am ragged and broken, but God is working on me. Honing and shaping me.
God is the blacksmith that is trying hard to shape the iron within my heart and soul, so I can become the jewel He sees in me.
These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:7
The rock is me. It doesn't look pretty at all, but it symbolizes my inward spiritual appearance. It is rugged, harsh, enough to cut a person that grabs it or steps on it. It's underside is flat and unmoving, which is very much like my stubborn-ness which is very unmoving, unless I want to. The rock has different shades, and mixtures of things like it as if it was conglomorated with cement with various minerals and pices of matter. My personality is very much like that and from an outward glance, might not seem very pretty at all, but God knows the jewel that housed in it. An uncut jewel will be passed up by many, because only a master gemstone cutter, will see past the ruggedness and flaws that it shows on the surface.
God is a master gemstone cutter. He knows just the right chip and cut to make a person's personality and heart to shine forth as He made it. We are all born rocks . Ha ha ha. Rocks! Some of us never see the jewel inside that God formed us before we were born and who we would become when we are born. He sees the hidden jewel, the hidden sparkle like a geode. And if we allow Him, he will polish, cut, shine and chip away at our plain, rugged surface, in order to reveal the beautiful jewel that we are .
So that rock that I picked up, showed me what God was doing to me and had been doing to me for so long. Only now, I am to see what God sees in me, and I am slowly changing the shape of my personality, the shape of my rock, with the help of Jesus.
Hardships are what they are: HARD ships. Things that are never easy to handled or deal with. Very much like rugged rocks. But I like to recall one piece of scripture that does help me hang on.
Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:3
Paul was a very harsh rock in this world, before Jesus got ahold of him and made him a very precious jewel to God. So if Paul can have faith to see it through, the hardship of the molding, melting, chipping, cutting and purifing of his heart and soul in the hands of God, then I can withstand my transformation as well.
How the world sees me does not matter anymore. What matters to me is how God sees me and how I can submit myself to His loving hands so He can beauify me in a way only He can.
So you might see an ugly, harsh rock, but in God's eyes, I am a shining, beautiful, and captivating jewel. The wonderful thing is, you are as well. A jewel in this world, which the world sees only as a rock.
I am not passing up a treasure I see in you. :o)
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