Different as the Shells on the Shore

“Mom, I am tired of being made fun of for taking a stand.”

​If I had a dollar for every time I have had this conversation with my kids, I would have a small fortune. The pressure to be like the crowd, or to not make waves can be a heavy burden for tweens and teens. Helping them navigate the feeling of loneliness and fear of man has always been a challenge for this momma’s heart.

It is hard to watch your children struggle, or even be left out. In the long run, choosing to be different for God’s glory, will bring peace and joy. It is just hard to see through the immediate circumstance. 

Just a few weeks ago, I found myself in this conversation with my fourteen year old daughter. She had made a media choice that was not one we approved of. 

We discussed the reasons biblically for why this choice was not wise and how we have taken this stand to protect her heart. ​​She was so remorseful and tender to the correction. After we prayed and dealt out the consequences, we just sat around chatting about starting high school and all that was awaiting her. She confessed her fears and doubts, and then said, “I just wanted to be in the know for this app because I am tired of being different.” ​

God in His loving kindness gave me a precious memory from our trip to Folly Beach, South Carolina over spring break. She and I have always been shell hunting buddies. We laugh and say that the rest of our family does it for fun, but we are "serious about our shells." On our first day there it was freezing. The wind was blowing and we were bundled up in hoodies but nothing was going to rob us of a chance to find unique and beautiful shells. We set out with our buckets and shovels ready to find amazing treasures.

​In our conversation, I reminded her of this and then asked her a question. "Honey, how many unique and beautiful shells did we find on that hour or so walk?" She answered with a sigh, "Only two or three." "Yes, that is right, but were those the only shells we saw or the only shells we picked up?” I said. “No,” she answered with a roll of her eyes. “We must have seen thousands, and picked up a hundred or so only to find them broken or partially missing.”

We both laughed remembering how excited we would get at the discovery and how equally disappointed we were when we saw the other side of a broken shell. I asked her, “What would we do with those broken shells?” “Toss them aside,” was her reply. “Yes, if we wanted ones like that our buckets would have been full.” I could see in her eyes that she was beginning to follow the illustration.

​Being different, on purpose, for God’s glory, means a narrow path and a choice to say no to the things this world offers us. The world, our own flesh, and Satan himself would desire that we fit in, be one of the crowd, or not make waves. What we don’t see lurking behind their persuasive pleas are the thousands of broken and insecure people that did exactly what they desired.

The light was dawning in her mind and she began to look at being different through a new lens. 

Being different for God’s glory is a call to uniqueness and beauty. Any day, you can choose to be one of the crowd following head long into the scars of sin. Being different, is a blessed gift from an amazing God.

​That very day I ordered a shell bracelet for all seven of my girls. I have shared this precious truth with each of them, and tucked it in my heart as well. 1 Peter 2:9 states, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should shew forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

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Natural Handmade Shell (adjustable) Bracelet or Anklet

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How do you help your kiddos be chosen, holy and peculiar to ". . .shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (I Peter 2:9)?