Contrasts

This morning after Nia finished her home schooling we went for a walk to the beach that you can see from the back of Gwenn's yard. From that distance you don't get the real picture. The beach is dirty. Litter is everywhere. Random flipflops and bottles, plactic bottle caps. Admist this trash there is treasure. You can not walk more than a few steps without finding perfectly worn colored beach glass. I picked up green, blue, light blue,amber,clear and even pink glass. I had never seen pink beach glass before. The 'boys' came along for the walk. (Two street boys who help out around the house and a friend.)These boys looked after the children and even carried them when they became tired. They also picked up a lot of beach glass and gave it to me when we got back to the house. I thought how lovely this beach 'could' be and if it were you could not keep the tourists away. But when people are struggling just to get the next meal on the table I don't imagine they are interested in beach improvement.
In the afternoon we drove up to the land where Haitian Children's Home will build their new compound. The mountains rise up against the prestine pebble beach. The water is so blue it draws you in and makes you smile.
The same ocean, the same town, two completely different pictures. One picture painted by God, one painted by man.
So it is with our lives. God created us in His image.In our sinful nature we have corupted that which was good. We are left with the dirty beach that makes us unfit to carry out the orginal plans that God had for us.But the cool thing is:the beach glass. God sees us in all of our filth, and He searchs for the that which is still of worth.We are just like the beach glass being constantly tumbled with the stones and sand to wear down the sharp, jagged edges to create smooth edges. If surrendered to God that thing which is the most painful in our lives can become the very thing that makes us valuable to our Creator.And He can restore the years and he will redeem us. And He will even clean us up.