“See My Shells!”

One of the early morning rituals we had in Veracruz was to go out looking for seashells. We spent a morning throwing starfish back into the Gulf, and another morning we found a sea turtle. There weren’t any amazing discoveries, but we did find some pretty cool sand dollars, driftwood and shells. I couldn’t help but be reminded of what John Piper said about seashells in his book, Don’t Waste Your Life.

“I will tell you what a tragedy is. I will show you how to waste your life. Consider this story from the February 1998 Reader's Digest: A couple took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30-foot trawler, play softball and collect shells. . . . Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: ‘Look, Lord. See my shells.’ That is a tragedy.

“God created us to live with a single passion: to joyfully display his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life. The wasted life is the life without this passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of, but to make much of him in every part of our lives.”

What then does it mean for us to live with a single passion for God? Over time I’m becoming more and more convinced of what it is and what it is not. What it isn’t - it isn’t finally hitting the ministry jackpot. You know, where the big payoff comes, amazing things happen and everyone recognizes your value in it all. What it is - it is walking faithfully with God, enjoying Him in the moment and being content to be His instrument as He so chooses.

Easy enough said. Now to live this unwasted, non-seashelled life.