Pounded and Polished
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith
1Peter 1:6, 7
I was taken with the beauty of the coastline along California Highway 101, specifically the rocky outcroppings that towered above the Pacific Ocean. The stretch of road I was traveling followed the west coast of San Francisco Peninsula, passing by the Año Nuevo State Reserve and the historic Pigeon Point Lighthouse. I was in some beautiful country to say the least.
Just north of the San Francisco area, near Goat Rock and the point at which the Napa Valley spills into the sea, I stopped and got out. I was struck by the rugged the coastline. Rocks of varying sizes and shapes protruded from the ocean, marking this as a dangerous area for watercraft if you didn’t know the shoreline. Seals bobbed on the waves, watching as I walked along the shore.
There was no mistaking the high-water mark. Year after year the waves pounded upon the rock, wearing away its sharp edges. There was a beauty in the grain and texture of the polished rock that was not evident higher up the cliffs. It was, to say the least, quite stunning; the contrast remarkable. One looked smooth and refined, the other harsh and treacherous. The power released as the surf pounded against the rocks was awesome! The pounding waves had polished and removed the rough exterior, revealing the beauty within.
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Like the beauty of those rocks after the waves pounded and polished them for millennia is our spirit following years of great trials and grief. Much desired is the end result.
Understandably, most of us want the wise spirit without enduring the hardships that carve and shape such results. To expect great wisdom by any other means is idealistic. No one enjoys the pounding, but few, if any, would trade the experience for anything we have to offer.
Rejoice in such trials, and give God praise for holding you in the storms that produce a genuine faith that the world can easily see.
Prayer
“Lord, as You polish me give me the strength and grace to give You praise. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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