MAKING PEARLS OUT OF SAND

Since ancient times, pantheists have believed that God was to be found in all living things throughout the universe. Primeval tribes deified the objects of heaven and earth. Modern man with all of his sophistication stands more often than not in awe of the many wonders of nature. This enduring reverence is easily understood when we look around at the mystically unknown and the overwhelming grandeur which are found in every glen and upon every hill.

Along with the enigmas which we continually encounter, there also seems to be something beyond the senses which binds and intertwines man’s life with his environment. If we are attentive some of our most valuable lessons can be extrapolated from an earnest exploration of the mechanism of this marvelous orb and its inhabitants.

A sincere contemplation of the wondrous evolutionary conversions which the earth and it creatures are completing will add volumes to understanding the true purposes and possibilities of our existence.

Millennia ago, deep in the folds of the earth, extreme pressures of the shifting plates of the earth were brought to bear on deposits of carbon. Centuries of squeezing and pushing followed, until finally the black lumps were transformed into stones which were no longer soft and ebony, but hardened and crystal. As decades tumbled upon each other the gentle shifting of the earth moved the crystalline pieces upward where they would eventually be discovered and chipped into brilliance.

Although coal in its original state was useful and beneficial, when it was transformed into a sparkling diamond its desirability and value increased immeasurably.

The homely oyster, when its shell is invaded by an irritating particle of sand, puts forth a comforting solution to surround the invading substance and make cohabitation possible. When the solution hardens the oyster’s world is again put into upheaval and another soothing layer is applied. Patiently and slowly a pearl of great price develops around the insignificant speck of sand.

There are times when man either inadvertently or deliberately participates in these phenomena found in nature which leads to making his surroundings more loveable and livable.

Some years ago, while visiting some friends in a rural area of Idaho, my attention was drawn to a beautiful flower garden which was in a glorious state of many colored splendor.

I exclaimed to my host my appreciation of this flamboyant and fragrant piece of ground and then asked if I had somehow missed seeing it on previous visits. He ducked his head and snickered and then informed me that this was the spot that his pig pens had occupied. My memory was pungently restored as I recalled the less pleasant fragrances emanating from this area in previous years.

By laboriously drying and tilling, planting and weeding this former eye-sore and nose-offending land had been transformed into a place of repose and beauty.

It would be wonderful if before too many candles are placed, this lesson of life could be comprehended. Sadly, we seem to demonstrate by our tardy comprehension, that we assume we are all gifted with endless eternities to learn.

We pray for placid and peaceful existence, ever forgetting that it is life’s pressures which mold and refine our characters. We are ‘ever seeking for the good life, with our feeble attempts to surround ourselves with protective shields trying to keep out irritation; not fully understanding that it is the living with and overcoming of these nuisances which help build admirable strengths and attributes.

Through diligent searching in hidden crevices for enlightenment, we may discover that even those places in life which seem most repugnant can be cultivated until they cause our countenances to blossom.

Nature seems to scream from every cavern and across every ocean: Listen and Learn. The purpose of existence is to progress. Progression can be wrought only by change.

We are here to change the rough, raw and repulsive parts of our characters into that which is polished, cultured and pleasant.