39c — Making Rock Structures
Building on the Rock —
One of my hobbies is kind of quirky, but very relaxing and fun — it is making structures or creatures out of rocks. It starts with gathering stones; and one of the best places to gather interesting stones is along the beaches of Lake Michigan near my home.
Every year, Keith and I take time to go “rock shopping” — which is really fun, because it takes us to beautiful places without costing any money. We drive to one of the many public coastline beaches along our Great Lake and stroll and pick up rocks. We put them in our pockets or place them in a small pail or bag.
When we return home, we wash them, spread them out on cookie sheets to dry, and admire our booty. After a couple of days, I slide them into an interesting glass jar and display them in our home until just the right day of creation.
When that special day arrives, I take all of my collected rock jars and once again spread their contents out onto cookie sheets. I then let the rocks “speak” to me. Of course, I don’t actually hear voices, but the rocks still seem to have a way of getting my attention. When one captures my fancy, I pick it up and start building with it as if it were a block.
I love to make towers or crosses.
Most interesting rock on top.
Round rocks form a cross.
Sometimes, however, an unusual stone will grab my attention, because of what it looks like or how it fits into another stone — and with the help of Aleene’s Tacky Glue — a rock creature is born.
Here are some of the rock creatures I designed over the last year.
A baseball mitt and glove.
A sunning turtle.
Even a baby Jesus.
And, yes! All of the rocks in the the pictures above are exactly as I found them on the beach — even the face of baby Jesus.
Try your hand at this simple way of relaxing. After all, rocks are fun, free, and forever — they will be around long after we’re gone. No wonder Jesus is called the Solid Rock. He is that immovable, always-reliable base for our faith. We will never go wrong if we stand firm on his teachings by faithfully following what he says.
My Prayer
Dearest Father, Thank you for hobbies that whisper your name and remind us of who you are. Thank you for rocks that are visual reminders of your Son’s solid, immovable support of all who place their faith in him. We are strong because he is strong. Thank you. Amen.
