On the East coast of NJ at Cape May, hundreds even thousands come to “Sunset Beach” every day all year long. Some for the swimming and some for fishing but the majority for what’s know locally as hunting for Cape May diamonds. You can see them with their rakes and bucket or even just using their hands and simply picking up tiny little stones.
You might ask why? If you are fortunate enough you might find the “perfect” stone which does not mean any more than simply make it into a beautiful piece of jewelry. However, for most the little stones need to be put into a little tumbler and put through a series of different grits to bring them to a beautiful and brilliant stone which when installed is a piece of jewelry looks “exactly” like a diamond. Hence, Cape May diamonds.
I thought about the process Abba takes us through in order to make us into a brilliant and beautiful stone which will one day be in His Crown. The little stones begin as a “rough” piece of Quartz which comes down the Delaware river from the mountains and is carried down to the area in Cape May and then goes through a process of being polished by the action of the waves as the tides come in and out. Rubbing against each other they begin to become smoother. How often we complain when we are confronted by someone who “grates” against our personality but failing to see that it just might be our Abba using them and even unfavorable circumstance to not “grind” us into the ground BUT to “polish” us.
When our kids where small we used to collect ugly stones and then put them into a little tumbler and using various grits at different times to bring them ugly stones to a brilliant object that we even made jewelry out of. It is not beyond the purpose of our Abba to use “different” people or circumstances to bring us through the process. He has the ability to take an “ugly” however “unfinished” stone and turn it into a thing of beauty.
May we resign ourselves to His Hands and intentions and instead of praying “Abba deliver me from evil” and change the prayer to “develop” me THROUGH evil. Be encouraged and beloved when faced with unpleasant circumstances or even unpleasant people …it’s the process.
Rabbi Matt