Beaches are some of the most beautiful places in Gods creation. But theres one in northern California that didnt start that way.
Its called Glass Beach and it got its name because the local town didnt have a garbage removal service. So they threw their trash over the cliffs. Empty bottles, shattered windows, even cars ended up there. And eventually, the city was forced to close down the beach.
But thats when something really interesting happened. As the years passed, the waves ground all that broken glass into smooth pebbles. And finally, the garbage-filled beach was transformed into a beautiful kaleidoscope of colour.
This whole process reminded me of our sanctification the way in which we as Christ-followers are moulded and shaped through the power of the Holy Spirit to become more and more like our Saviour. The Book of Titus puts it this way:
He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:5-7, ESV).
We know that the grace of Jesus has already justified us in the eyes of God. But as fallen human beings, its impossible for us to fully live out the perfect character of Christ each day. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. Its only through his activity in our hearts and minds that we can truly be changed, sharing more and more in our full humanity regenerated and raised up in Christ and given to us by his Spirit.
Like the waves crashing year after year on Glass Beach, the Holy Spirit works to remove our rough edges, using events and circumstances in our lives for the refinement of our character, gently and persistently re-shaping us into the image of Christ. So that just like Glass Beach, what might start out looking like garbage, can be refined into a truly beautiful kaleidoscope reflecting the very light and life of Jesus Christ.