Small Smooth Stones

I grew up loving stones and rocks. I loved to search for stones of beauty, smoothness and uniqueness. I collected these stones in piles, in my pockets and any other vessel I found to hold them. I used stones to frame my flower beds and mark garden rows. Stones are useful and beautiful. David agreed.

"Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine" (1 Samuel 17:40 NIV).

I have a small brass pitcher filled with special stones I have selected through the years. Living in the country rocks are common but these stones are not. I like to feel them, their smoothness or roughness. One stone on the top is red like the rocks of Sedona, Arizona. It is oval and porous with flecks of other colors through out. It fits perfectly in the palm of my hand. The next stone is hard and shiny with a 'v' broken out of it. It is olive colored and shaped like a lop-sided heart. Most of the rest of the stones are round or oval. There is a white one that's nearly a perfect round shape. A blue one is more flat and smooth. Another red one is the size of my thumbnail.

The stones remind me of how carefully God has created us all. He has made us unique like the stones. Perhaps the stones have rolled and been reshaped by abrasions or perhaps they were made as small smooth stones. They remind me of God's touch on all earthly things. They cry out with the truth that God is the Creator of all things.

"Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," Jesus replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out" (Luke 19:40 NIV).