I visited friends in Southern California recently, and we walked on the beach looking for sea glass.  We sifted through rocks, like one would pan for gold.  Looking for some color among all the rocks.  I even got to take some home as found treasure

As I was putting it away at home, I wondered, “How long does it take to make sea glass?”

Well, it turns out that it takes 7-10 years to smooth out the edges and turn it frosty and pitted.  And that’s on the short end.  There’s a lot of glass out there that’s old.  Bright crimson, cobalt blue.  These are the colors of old bottles turned into sea glass.  Experts could probably date it by the color.  I just think it’s pretty.

Imagine how much tumbling the glass would endure.  Waves and other rocks crashing, rubbing it against other rocks and glass.  Breaking the bottle apart into small pieces.  Then slowly smoothing the rough edges until the original shape no longer exists.

At least 7-10 years.  The rockiest areas work the fastest.  And the gorgeous deep colors have probably been tumbling around for more than 50 years.

Imagine being that glass.  You’re happily holding the contents of some precious liquid: medicine, milk, wine, or vinegar.  Suddenly you’re empty and thrown into the water.  Now you’re swirling around in the ocean so fast that don’t even know which way is up.  It hurts and you’re completely disoriented.

And this goes on for years.

When it’s done, no one recognizes you.  You’re still the original color, but the writing, the shape, and everything else recognizable is obliterated.  All the hard edges are gone.  You don’t have the same shine.  And yet there’s a depth and beauty that wasn’t there before.

It’s hard becoming sea glass.  It’s beautiful when you get there.

Isn’t that kind of like life?  We go happily along, and then something happens.  We swirl around in the current.  The waves crash over and around us.  There are rocks mixed in.  It isn’t pleasant at all.  In fact, it often hurts.

Yet those waves and those rocks smooth our rough edges.  Help make us more beautiful than we used to be too.  Beauty from hardship.  Grief and loss.  Beauty from struggle.  There’s a depth that wasn’t there before.  Someone searches for us.  And their eyes light up when they find us among the rocks.

I don’t like being made into sea glass.  I do love having already been made into sea glass.  But, no matter how hard I try, I can’t wish myself into being sea glass.  I have to go through the process.  So do you.

If you want to have your rough edges smoothed out, if you want to shine with the beauty of sea glass, then allow yourself to be put through the tumbling process.  Be willing to be broken, tossed around, mixed in with the rocks.  It will make all the difference.

Have you had experiences that acted like the waves making sea glass?  Leave a comment.