Dirty Rocks + Rock Tumbler = Shiny Gems

It’s amazing how having kids can open your eyes to so many things, including learning more about yourself, life, and God.  A couple years ago my cousin got the girls a rock tumbler.  They LOVE it and are always on the look out for neat rocks (yes, my girls love rocks).  On numerous trips, hikes, or walking through the yard they can be found collecting various rocks to run through the tumbler.  It is a great activity for kids and can be a neat teaching tool as well.

The rock tumbling process goes something like this……

• Find a variety of dirty average looking small rocks
• Put them through the tumbler to remove all the grit and smooth out the rough edges
• Polish them

The whole process takes days and seems forever for the kids, but the end result is something beautiful and well worth the wait.

Recently, I came across a bag of rocks while I was cleaning.  I had to smile knowing exactly why one of my ziploc bags had been used to stash a handful of ordinary, dull, and plain rocks.  The girls know that even though they look like any old dirty rock once they are tumbled and polished their true colors will shine beautifully.

As I was standing there looking at those old, dusty rocks it struck me that my heart is much like those sharp and dirty rocks.  There is a lot of junk that needs to be knocked off my heart and life before the beauty of God’s love can shine through.  Thankfully with His help and a tremendous amount of patience on His part He slowly and faithfully cleans the dirt away, smooths out the roughness, and round the sharp edges.  When His love, goodness, mercy, and kindness radiates from my brokenness it opens the doors for opportunities to make a positive eternal impact on the hearts and lives those around us.

An example of a rock tumbler you can get from Amazon if you are looking for a fun activity to do with your kids!