February 17

Isaiah 41:10 “do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen
you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”

Seashells

It is no secret that I love to travel. I love beaches, sand, water, and sun. Whenever possible, I
take daily walks on the beach. Early in the morning, when it is less crowded, and I peacefully
enjoy the beauty that God has created.

One of my favorite things to do on my beach strolls is look for seashells. Early on, I would
search for only unblemished and whole shells. I thought then they were the most precious. Later
in life, I found myself drawn to the broken ones. Imagine the stories they could tell. Their journey
through the ocean and their quest to survive. Whipped by the waves, smashed against rocks,
and somehow making it to shore. Luckily for me, they are plentiful as they are the ones that
most people leave behind. They want the ones that are pretty and whole on the outside not the
ones that are damaged.

I know that I am like that broken seashell and perhaps many of us are. We have had things
happen in our lives that affected us deeply. Sometimes we cannot even imagine surviving or
being able to move forward.

It is okay to be that broken seashell - we all go through things. Like Jesus, we all have scars.
The culmination of Jesus’ Lenten journey left him broken. But when He rose again, He showed
his scars. It is because of His scars that we can heal and allow the light to shine once again.
During this season of Lent, may your scars heal and may God’s eternal love and light shine on
you and those you love.