But Cat's Paws. These are common. These are all over the beach. Everyday. They're cute and it's fun to pick them up. Plus they have a sweet name. We collected a bunch last year to use as math counters. Anyone can find these little shells. We walk over them everyday.
A friend of mine challenged me last night at dinner. She said these little shells became Prayer Paws for her. Every time she picked one up, she said a prayer for a sick friend. Then she put them in a pretty jar and sent them to her friend as a visual reminder of the prayers that have been lifted up on her behalf. I was moved by this gesture. I have a sick friend. I have a sick uncle. Both are doing battle with cancer.
So this morning, as we went for our morning beach walk, we all looked for Cat's Paws. These little, common shells that we normally pass by suddenly became very precious. My kids were picking them up by the handful. Prayers for my friend. Prayers for my uncle. And every time I bent down to pick one up and held it tight in my hand, my heart burst open. The little shells became a profound metaphor. It's so like God. Putting something so obvious in front of us, so little and yet so beautiful in its simplicity, to either take or not to take but there nonetheless. Like His love. Like His presence. His faithfulness. He's there. All the time. And it's so easy to look over this beautiful gift in pursuit of something bigger, more beautiful, rarer.
My son has expressed frustration at not being able to find the more precious shells. He just doesn't see them. But today as we were picking up Cat's Paws, he told me that he's really good at finding these! He sees them all over the beach. I told him that perhaps he's actually finding the most precious shells. What better gift could we have been given but life in Jesus. What better gift can we give to each other but our prayers.
If this wasn't beautiful enough, on our way home, both my kids were jibberjabbering about how they wanted to collect money to help my friend and my uncle. A penny per shell. And we'll send the money to help pay for medicine. My eyes are swelling with tears at this simple gesture. Wait, my daughter says. What if we put our chore money in a jar on our dresser and when it's full, we send that money to my friend, my uncle. What?! Your chore money?? Yes!
One of my biggest prayers is that our children would be people of gratitude. Because out of thankfulness comes so many other beautiful things like generosity. Hearing my children think about someone other than themselves this morning was the encouragement I needed today. And collecting/saying all of these prayers for these precious people we love who are sick makes my soul sing. Let us be people of prayer. For each other. For our leaders. May we keep the faith and remain people of hope.
