Grandpa’s Shiny Stones

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Grandpa’s Shiny Stones

Job 23:10 “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”
 
If you could be a gemstone which one would you choose?
Two of your Great-Grandpa Thomson’s shiny stones.
Would you want to be a ruby? An emerald? Maybe a black onyx stone? These beautiful stones are very expensive and desirable for jewelry and other adornments, but they are not mined from the earth in their sparkly and shiny state. There is a long and involved process to reveal their hidden beauty.
When I was a young girl my grandfather acquired a rock tumbler. Grandpa would take rugged, ugly looking stones, put them in the machine with grit and water, and turn it on. I can remember hearing the rocks clinking around in the metal cylinder for hours.
After allowing them to process for seven days, Grandpa would remove the stones, rinse them, and put them back in the machine with a finer grit and water. Again he would flip the switch and for another seven days they would bounce around until they were smooth and shiny. The end result was amazing. The transformation of those ugly, ordinary rocks into shiny colorful specimens was incredible.
This is what God does for those who belong to Him. Sin ruined the beauty with which humanity was created. But through the death and resurrection of Christ we have the opportunity to be made new. Our sins are forgiven and God begins the process of making us like His Son.
In order to smooth the rough edged defects that our sinning has produced, God tests us and often allows trials to come into our lives. As we experience the bumping of difficult relationships, health issues, financial crises, and numerous other struggles, we can choose to let the process refine us or we can fight against it.
Job understood this principle well and chose to trust God through all the trials that he suffered. He knew that when the testing was over he would come forth as gold, refined and knowing God better.
So what kind of gemstone do you want to be? I think I would like to be a beautiful, shiny diamond, but there is a lot more bumping and tumbling that needs to take place for that to happen. Thankfully, God knows each of us, and when He is finished with His children, each one will sparkle and shine like Grandpa’s rocks.

Love,

Mama

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Hi, I'm Sandy! 

I write inspirational letters based on the Bible that share words of hope, encouragement, truth, and healing to my children and anyone else who longs for a mama's touch.

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