*Sea Glass*

I am blessed to be a part of a ministry that serves the homeless and less fortunate in our community by providing for some of their material needs, as well as their spiritual needs. This morning I was given the opportunity to speak Truth and encouragement in their lives. This is what I shared:

"This morning I gave to you an item. Can anybody tell me what it is?

(Beach glass.)

Who knows how it is formed?

(broken glass tossed in the wind and rocks)

This year on a beautiful day in early March I went out to the coast to spend some time with the Lord. I had been feeling bogged down, and too much in my own head. My questions of God were getting in the way of my worship of God. My prayer time had been consumed with asking Him why? Asking Him how long? Asking him to change my circumstances. To be honest, I felt forgotten. My goal in going out there was to bring back my Love for Jesus. To forget my questions… to simply focus on Him and who He is.

You see, many times we are so mistaken when we think we can go about life, keep up with the pace of our schedule and the everyday, and still keep a relationship alive with the lover of our souls. I have been taught that we cannot simply drift into an authentic, life changing relationship with Jesus. It takes time, it takes intentionality; it takes a re-commitment every single day.

Now there are many things we CAN drift into. Left unchecked our minds can drift into worry, our focus can drift to the tv, our hearts can drift to envy, our attitude can drift to anger, our habits can drift to be addictions… With the enemy at large, he is working to distract you- to take your minds focus off of Jesus, and drift into all of these places of despair. God, however, wants us to GROW, and that is a choice- it is an act of the Will.

You may ask, well- How do you grow? Personally, I make the choice to get deep in His Word every day. This is something you can do too. I meditate on scripture to keep my mind from drifting. Some days I take time off of my routine and go someplace, not always the ocean- sometimes a bench downtown, or a rock by the river, and I pray… I remember that Jesus said, in John 15:9-17:

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. ¹⁰ When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! ¹² This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. ¹³There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. ¹⁶ You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

I read that and I can’t help but worship. He tells us to be filled with his JOY. When is the last time you were filled with JOY? He has promised that if we cast our cares on him- he will care for them… Cast them… Do we have anyone who’s fished here before?

What does it mean- to cast?

Yes- Throw as far as you can. Picture taking your worries and CASTING them. Take your worries and CAST them to your Heavenly Father.

The same Heavenly Father who Loves you enough to lay down his life for you.

And as you grasp this, as you understand the fullness of what this means, you will then find joy in doing the same… Surrendering your life, laying your life at the foot of the cross and telling Him to do with it what He will.

This is the place I was on that day in March. I was surrendered, I was exhausted, and I cast my cares onto him. There was a cool March breeze blowing so I didn’t walk long amongst the rocks, but as I was walking, I began collecting glass- the same glass that you hold in your hand. And I believe that God impressed something on my heart that day that I want to share with you.

Each of you take your glass and rub it through your fingers…

No one is calling out for a band-aid… no one is getting hurt. God told me that day that this glass represents me- this glass represents anyone who has found Christ.

See, there was a time when I was a bottle (show)- I was unharmed, perfect, straight from God- that day was the day I was born. Ever since that day though, things have broken me. People I loved have died, friends I trusted betrayed me, dreams I had, got shattered. My bottle broke as a result of my own sin, as well as the sins of others.

Now, if I stayed in that place, if I had drifted along, if I remained broken- I would be in a place where my hurt, would then transfer to hurting others. People I would come into contact with, would be affected negatively by me- I would create more wounds.

By the Grace of God, however, I have made a choice. I have made a choice to be made new by God. This process though, is not easy. This process involves surrendering my “why?” questions. In my surrender, God takes my brokenness and allows me to be tossed, rolled, rubbed and even knocked into the sides of cliffs at times to make me useful to Him. The result, like this piece of glass, is beauty. My edges are softened.

People like myself scour beaches for sea glass, display them on shelves- appreciate the beauty of something old and broken, becoming something smooth, and beautiful.

The glass broken along Main street is often left there, or gathered by street sweepers. No one flocks to city streets hoping to find sharp broken glass. Without having the turmoil, and grinding of the waves, that glass sits in peace- after being broken, it remains unchallenged- and is good for nobody.

I tell you this today, my brothers and sisters, because I know some here are feeling broken. Some here just want the peace that comes without the waves of life- but know, our God- our God who loves us, who laid down his life for us, for me, for you, is a God who allows these times of trial to shape us- to grind us to the size and shape He wants in order to fulfill His will for us.

I know it is not always easy. I haven’t walked in your shoes but I have cried many tears as God has brought me through His Will for me- but I would also want NO OTHER JOURNEY. And for you, I want your brokenness, your pain, to be used by God. No promises it will be easy, but it will welcome the eternal Love of Jesus. It will guide you to an everlasting life with the lover of your soul.

When God tells his people in Jeremiah 29 11-14 he says:

¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² In those days when you pray, I will listen. ¹³ If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

He has plans for GOOD, not disaster. Now remember, disaster and trials are different. Disaster implies something that you can’t get out of or away from. We need Him for our trials not to be disasters. God does and WILL allow trials into our lives, but where we are blessed, where we find hope, is that the trials are NOT the end of our story. When we keep our eyes on Jesus and following His commands, there is Hope and a Future.

The reward is more than worth the discomfort. I know you may feel broken this morning but I urge you- Don’t stay where you are. Allow God to change your heart. Join me in my desire to stop questioning, and let us allow God to use our brokenness to bring beauty and to touch the lives of others. Keep this glass as a reminder that He Loves you and He wants to use you. CHOOSE Him. Get in the Word, follow His teachings, He wants to shine and be seen through YOUR life.