Refining lemons into precious stones

While listening to U2's Ordinary Love on the first Jimmy Fallon show, I was inspired for this post.
A line in the song says "The sea throws rock together but time leaves us polished stones" I started to think about my favorite place on the earth, the river. A far cry from the sea but what happens to rocks, that overtime have rubbed each other and been tossed around, is the same as what the sea can do. A very rough rock can become smooth, round and polished.

We are like rough rocks, that after many years of dealing with impossible, uncaring, unholy, selfish, greedy, unloving and just plain unkind people have been rubbed wrong enough times that we are finally, through God's love, being refined into the precious stones he wants us to be.

    

 

 

Have you ever had an encounter with someone that left you more confused or agitated than you were before? Or how about, after dealing with someone, you felt like you needed a nap or a hot bath just to calm your nerves. Now think about how people feel about us after interacting with us. Do you feel like you rub people the right way or like sand paper? Do people feel better about themselves after

spending even a few minutes in your presence?

 

 

I truly hope I can say or do just some small thing to make every person (at least most of them) feel good about coming in contact with me. Abrasive is not a word I ever want used to describe me.

Even though, all those sand paper people have polished us into what we are today, I am certain we would get to the point of thinking "ok! Enough with the polishing"

 

 

The point is, you never know how your words can impact someone. It could be positive or it could be negative. When you see that lady everyday at work, whom you have never been introduced to, and see she has a new hairdo that is very flattering, TELL HER! Even a small compliment can brighten her day and she will pass that smile on to someone else. Smiles bring Smiles.

 

 

Let it be your goal to be a smooth encounter and not a rough one. We have enough of those already!

 

Until next time- Safe Picking!

 

Tammy