Sea Glass

Once upon a time there was a CILT named Jack McGee. A 16-year-old boy ready to take on the world, Jack rocked River Village for two weeks as he was a leader not only with small Brave and Blazer boys but also with his energetic peers. Sadly, Jack had to go home when his time in the Yurt expired and the counselors were saddened by his absence. But alas, Jack is a writer and so a dialogue through written letters continued throughout the summer. On one hot and humid afternoon, during pop stop time, the counselors found a thick envelope waiting for them in the trading post. The return address read, "Jack McGee." They read the letter aloud and everyone stopped what they were doing to hear his wisdom.

"I love sea glass. When I'm in Maine, I always make time to find a nearby beach and sift through the rocks and sand in hopes of finding a beautiful piece of the stuff. What fascinates me the most about it is how it got to that specific beach after a specific amount of time. A piece of sea glass could have started out as a bottle or a window or anything made of glass that you can imagine. However what makes sea glass is not what it was but by a single mistake. This could be an intentional mistake, like littering, or an accident, like a ship bashing against the rocks and slowly sinking to the murky depths below. By that time the glass object may be shattered into a million pieces or still completely intact but the ocean makes quick work of the ones still unscathed. 

At first, the edges are jagged, the glass is see through, and nobody really wants the glass at all. However months, years, decades pass and the ceaseless waves of the ocean round the edges and cloud the glass to make it an item that is instantly recognizable and sought after. In the same way, followers of Christ can be like that sea glass. We start out as anything and everything, but one big mistake, intentional or not, can shatter us into a million pieces. Our hearts become jagged and nobody really wants to risk the cuts to get near us. It doesn't matter what we started out as, what matters is letting Christ into our lives. The process may take months, it may take a lifetime, we may even get shattered for the first time because we are believers getting persecuted. However, we know that once we wash up on that beach, we are unrecognizable and displaying a beauty that can only be shown by accepting God's grace. That is infinitely more valuable than being a bottle, a window, or anything made of glass that you can imagine. 

While I could just write about my adventures and weird hobbies, I'd really much rather show you all. This is why I'm sending five sea glass pendants that I made while I was in Maine. You can do whatever you want with it, whether that means wearing it, giving it away, or throwing it away if you must."