My Beautiful Broken Shell ~

It is low tide and I watch, mesmerized, as the
ocean rises slowly...curls... and then spills its
white-laced foam onto the shore.

I walk by a broken scallop shell...
and leave it to search for
more perfect ones.

But then I stop...
go back...and pick up
the broken shell. I realize
that this shell is me
with my broken heart.

This shell is people who are hurting...
people who have lost loved ones...
people who are frightened or alone...
people with unfulfilled dreams.

Broken shells teach us not to
look at our imperfections... but to look
at the beauty... the great beauty...
of what is left.

I watch the rolling surf
toss new shells onto the shore,
and I am reminded of the many times
that I, too, have been tossed
by the storms of life and worn down
by the sands of time, just like
my beautiful broken shell.
But I am reminded that broken
shells don't stand alone.

Thank You, Lord, for being with me
to share my life... to help me
carry my burdens.

Thank You for the precious gift of faith
that keeps me strong when I am weak...
that keeps me going when it
would be easier to quit.

Thank You, Lord, for hope in times of despair...
for light in times of darkness...
for patience in times of suffering...
for assuring me that with You
all things are possible.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit He saves.
Psalm 34:18

*Taken from the book, My Beautiful Broken Shell by Carol Hamblet Adams