Treasures in the Sand

 

Living in the Northeast means enduring long, cold winters, with only a few brief summer months. These lengthy winters can be nearly unbearable, and the best way to cope is to escape for a week or two whenever possible. Some of our friends and neighbors even leave for the entire winter; we refer to them as "snowbirds."

We eagerly anticipate the kids' school break so we can travel somewhere warm. When we head south, the girls spend much time at the beach. One of their favorite activities is collecting shells and other treasures washed ashore by the ocean. The younger children enjoy using a unique sifting bowl to separate the sand, which helps them find larger items. They fill the bowl and slowly sift away the sand to uncover their treasures. We watch them as they can do this for hours. Along with hauling all our luggage and travel items, we often end up transporting many containers of shells and ocean debris, which, shortly after our arrival, mysteriously make their way into the trash.

This method of sifting through sand for ocean treasures is very similar to an ancient biblical technique for separating grain seeds from chaff, known as threshing—removing edible grains from the inedible straw.

The Bible uses the metaphor of sifting to describe our relationship with His word. 

When I read scripture, I mentally fill my mind with it, just as my children fill their sifting bowls. Then, I begin to separate everything I’ve read. I meditate on it and take time to think about its meaning, like distinguishing the grain from the straw, the edible from the inedible, and the treasure from the sand. What remains is often nourishment for my soul.

You will be a new threshing instrument with many sharp teeth. (Is. 41:15 )

Arise and Thresh, daughter of Zion…(Mi. 4:13)