God Notions

I was honored to present the crown at a Quincenera recently. Taking part in this coming of age celebration reminded me of when my own daughter, Erin, turned 18. I gave her a small jar of colorful pieces of broken shells with one intact pale pink shell on top. I recreated this gift for Jasmine and thought I would share with you the story behind it:

When my daughter was 10, our family took a 2-week vacation driving the east coast of the United States, stopping overnight to stay on beaches along the way. We spent 2 days on Vero Beach in Florida where Erin, and I spent hours looking and digging for shells. We were on the hunt to find one whole shell. Hours we spent in the sun digging deep into the sand, finding hundreds of beautiful pieces but never finding that one, that somehow had found protection and remained whole.

For Erin’s 18^thbirthday I reminded her how we spent hours upon hours looking and digging to find that treasure of a whole shell. How we found many beautiful pieces of broken shell, but the treasure of a whole shell is so rare to find. People will go to a lot of sacrifices to find and have a whole shell, they will spend their time to find one and they will spend their money to buy one. When looking for a treasure one plans and prepares, and when that treasure is found it is cared for, protected and valued for the rare find that it is.

I told Erin, “You are that treasure, understand your value. The world is harsh and hard and though it wants what you have, it will try to convince you that you are not any different, do not be persuaded. The harsh truth is you can become just like the crowd at any given moment, but the crowd cannot ever become like you again. Be careful to protect your heart, your mind, and your spirit. Always remember your value…you are worth someone’s efforts of planning and preparing for you. You are worth the sacrifice of someone spending their time and their money for you. You have value and are worth the sacrifice of true committed love.

Above all else dear child, never forget you have a heavenly Father who wants you and treasures you and has gone to great links and sacrifice to protect, provide and love you. He created you, and thinks you worth the sacrifice of so much, including life, to save, protect, to love…because you are.”

Psalm 139:14