I have collected seashells all my life. And I’ve bought a few, too. They are all over my house. There is a basketful on the family room coffee table. There is another basketful on the window shelf in the same room. There are shells on the bathroom counters, and a row of four sand dollars on the living room table.
But if I had to choose my favorite set of shells, it would be this one. They are nestled in a half clam shell, on the desk in my study. And they were on every pastoral desk I ever worked at during my years as a pastor. I’ve written about them before, about how we took a spontaneous trip to the beach (when we lived over an hour away from it) right after a winter storm.
The beach was littered with these delightful, small things, and we gathered as many as we could, my middle daughter the champeen collector. I never tire of looking at them, of fingering their delicate outlines and admiring the creative genius that put shell-covered creatures into our great oceans.
Do you have small things that you keep around your house? Things that remind you of a special time with your family or friends? Things that teach you more about God?
Jars of shells, baskets of tumbles stones, dishes of acorns, scatterings of autumn leaves and a few dried flowers and herbs… all wondrous treasures.
Treasures, indeed.
Your shells are lovely! I have a few, too, and a small collection of sea glass, but it’s rocks that I seem to gather everywhere I go. I’m always finding them in my jacket pockets. 🙂 I have a glass jar on the living room coffee table into which I drop them after I’ve printed the source on the underside with a felt pen. God’s natural souvenirs.
the 3 wise men (I want to be reminded to keep looking), “believe” items