THE MARBLE CRACKED

I remember my childhood days. The simple games we played; the imaginary worlds we created. Sometimes I wish I could return to those worlds where Prince Charming rode in on his white stallion or the tall, dark, and handsome stranger took hold of my hand and whisked me away. But, I have put away childish things and faced the realities of life. Still, one childhood game lingers in my mind. I think it haunts reality at times. This game is marbles.

I used to play by the hour with my marbles, rolling the large one into the helpless plain ones and watching them all spin out of control. It seemed funny then. Now that I am grown, I relate all too well that large boulder marble. I’ve discovered being tossed into a heap of offenses, resulting in my world spinning out of control is not funny at all.

One day my grandmother took my favorite boulder because it had a nick in it. She baked it in her over, shattering the inside, Such a beautiful necklace it made! I could no longer use it for a boulder, but now it served a much better purpose.

The heat of life’s difficulties and discouragements has made me shattered inside as well. My heart has been deeply wounded by the fires of betrayal and I have been crushed on the inside. But just as that marble didn’t disintegrate but only shattered inwardly, I too, held strong because my true fomr is in God’s hands. My heart belongs to Him first and not to fickle man. He can take my shattered heart, held firmly and securely in His hand, and make me an adornment for His wearing. He can make a jewel out of a confused and broken marble.

That boulder went from being kept in a crowded bag of marbles to being displayed in a lovely jewelry box. Isn’t that just like Jesus? He talks us from the stuffy, dark, crowded, sinful “pouches” to His jewelry display! In other words, He takes us from the common to the extraordinary! I am very glad He owns my heart!