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| River Rocks in a violet dish garden |
My husband and I picked up some river rocks one day along the edge of a creek, with which I intended to dress bulb gardens. They were in a plastic grocery bag. One day I set them on the stairs to bring up from the basement, to use. A series of things happened which required we clean up and store some things very quickly, which resulted in the bag of rocks being placed where we cannot find them now. We have looked and looked. I have said so many times that I can't believe you can lose a bag of rocks, that the family has a joke now, where they ask me have I found my rocks. Remeniscent of the boy in Peter Pan who was still searching for his marbles when he was an old man. I still can't get over the fact that I lost a bag of rocks.
Anyway, as a sweet gesture, my husband stopped by that same creek one afternoon as we returned from Atlanta, to pick up more of the smooth stones. He went to great lengths - stopping to pick up subs, and while I ordered, he went next door to a dollar store to get a plastic pail, to put the rocks in. He reasoned we surely could not lose a bucket of rocks.
This time, rather than just a few, we filled the bucket until I was embarrassed we were taking so many, but also worried that we might not be in an area where that was allowed. But when a park ranger coming off the mountain, out of the park above us, slowed, saw us collecting rocks, then pulled away, I accepted the gift my husband was lovingly giving me. And we came home with a bucket of smooth stones.
I planted the bulb gardens, and as soon as they sprouted, I placed the stones around the bulbs, loving the texture they added to the gardens. But now I had a residue of stones, gladly. I set them in a corner on the deck to await the next time I would use them. At least I would know where they were.
When my toddler grandson visited, he saw the gardens which were enhanced by stones and he proceeded to place rocks in a dish where I had placed some violets I wished to transplant. He, in effect, made a dish garden from my yard violets. I love it. Such an innocent imatation of my bulb gardens. Now each time he comes he rearranges the rocks. Sometimes, he stands them on end, sometimes he stacks them flatly one on another. Sometimes he uses the same rocks, sometimes new ones. But as he lays out the stones to select which he wants to use, he examines each. I am amazed how enthralled a toddler can be with a bucket of rocks.We made a game of selecting only the ones that will fit into the hole in the birdhouse, saying "little" or "too big." Now it is routine. When he comes, he finds the bucket and begs me to bring it to the table, so he can find yet another way to busy himself with a stack of stones.
Well, my neighbor's grandson, who is preschool age, came and saw my grandson's stack of stones, and his mind began turning. In no time he was occupying himself with stacking those stones. Now when he comes he also seeks out the bucket and spends all the time he wants playing with them.
What does losing your rocks have to say about God? Well, God saw two little boys who would find them fascinating, and thought they needed a few more. And he taught me how little joy can cost. I may never find the bag of lost rocks, but if I do, I will add them to the bucket, until I need them. And I will clean them off the deck table over and over so little boys can spend all the time they need touching, tasting, stacking, standing, and imagining what they can do with these amazing textural toys.
It will be years before they think back on those rocks and become aware of how amazing they really are. Each stone is the product of the natural elements that many years have formed. Each tells a story, is a composite of elements, and has a history. Yet God himself cared enough about those rocks to share them with me, my husband, my daughter for whom I made the bulb gardens, and two curious and imaginative little boys. And he used something as simple as rocks, to be a meeting point for relationship building. My husband's gift, my gift to my daughter, the time I spend with my grandson and the little boy next door. And the gift of memories, that is built around how anxiety over little things can be turned around, showing God can make something good out of anything! Even a bag of rocks.
Lest we forget, Christ is the
Solid Rock...when all else is sinking sand.
Thank you Lord for simple blessings. I really love my bucket of rocks.
http://youtu.be/qDn-jnbQ744
