I know we aren’t supposed to brag but I’m not good at many things. I didn’t make the cheerleading team in sixth grade. I remember the awkwardness of getting picked near last for teams in P.E. class. I didn’t even make grade school chorus – and everyone made the chorus. Everyone, that is, except for me and a boy going through early adolescence whose voice cracked mid-syllable like a banjo with a broken string. Eventually, his voice became smooth and steady while mine remains a unique mix of southern, nasally, whine. It’s as if I speak my own dialect and apparently it should not be put to music. As such, I feel like I get special dispensation when it comes to boasting. After all, I feel like God would want me to focus on my strengths after so many obviously traumatic childhood experiences.
All that is to say, I am really good at finding shark’s teeth. (I know I probably should have made sure you were sitting down for that.) Last time I went to the beach I found 38 shark teeth in less than two hours. Since I am a self-proclaimed-shark-tooth-finding expert, I feel obligated to teach others several important lessons from my experiences:
- There are treasures everywhere if you are only patient enough to look. Slow down and pay attention to the gifts in your life. I bet if you look close enough you will find way more than 38.
- Life is messy, but it’s also full of miracles. Notice them. Like the debris of crushed shells on the beach, if we aren’t careful then all we will see are the broken pieces of our lives. We can never lose sight of the way God redeems our suffering often surprising us with unexpected gifts of awe.