Bright and Shiny

Several years ago my husband bought me a ring for my birthday. My "Jesus fish" encircled ring is sterling silver from James Avery. Just about every day you can see it upon my right hand, middle finger.

Yesterday during a trip to the mall, I stopped in to have it cleaned. This not something I have ever done, but my friend Jennifer does it often with her James Avery silver, so I followed suit. We dropped off our jewelry and started on my list of "I needs." An hour later we came back to retrieve our silver. When the associate pulled my ring out of the little felt pouch and I put it on my finger, I was in shock. I was in awe. I could barely believe what I saw. My ring that had once been well worn and well loved, scratched and dull ... was now bright and shiny. I didn't even remember it looking this great the day I received it as a gift. I guess I had just gotten sp used to it's lackluster that I forgot it's brilliance. I couldn't stop looking at my hand (and then I decided I needed a much prettier hand to wear such a shiny ring-where was my lotion?).

As we walked through the parking lot, Jennifer and I began pondering the similarities between that dull ring and our lives. So often we get used to being dull, lackluster, stuck in a rut...that it just seems normal. Our lives get dirty, stained, scratched and it just becomes the way we are. But I think God desires for us to be bright and shiny. In just minutes all the old grime was polished away from my ring and it was good as new. Jesus does the same for us. When we finally realize that we've become less than what God desires, He is right there to polish us up. We become "new creations" in Him every time we ask to be made clean. However, He loves us because He loves us - not because of what we do or what we don't do - He loves us because He loves us. He longs to see us bright and shiny...but He loves us even when we are lackluster.

Jennifer says that I'm going to go off on my sabbatical and get all bright and shiny while she stays dull and dirty. I told her she better stay away then so she doesn't rub her dirt off on my shininess. :) Actually, I hope to come back and rub my shininess off on her and everyone else. How else are we supposed to be a "City on a Hill" if we are not shining bright for the world to see?

May you remember that God loves you whether you are dull and dirty or bright and shiny. May you turn to Him today and ask Him to polish you up a bit.