I Hate when Sand gets in my Oyster Shell.

A friend wrote me a note the other day and included this line that hit me like a ton a bricks. It describes my life. I want God to produce great pearls of wisdom but am sometimes unwilling to open my shell and allow a little sand in my life. Sand in an oyster shell is what causes the irritation to create the beautiful pearl.

Jesus warned there would be plenty of sand but most of us who follow Him try to limit the tiny bits of rock to protect what matters most to us, comfort.

I had one of those days yesterday. I woke up and found my shell wide open and before I could close up, buckets of sand had dropped on me and began to filter into my shell.

This morning, most of the initial irritation is gone but some lingers. I predict a pearl is being produce and out of it a pauper will be born.

As I look out my window, I see dark gray clouds blanketing the sky. In contrast the dry, dead, straw-colored grass in my yard looks almost beautiful instead of dead. As I sit here writing these words I’m thinking of the people I admire most and realize they have their shells wide open. Perhaps as I go through my day, instead of closing up, I will remain open and in that openness, a bit of sand will slip in causing irritation and another pearl.