Rock Hound

Here is one of my favorite blog post that I wrote a couple of years ago.

I am a rock hound. I have a small collection of rocks. Of course, these are not run-of-the-mill rocks. I have geodes, rocks with amethyst and quartz, and others. It amazes me that our creative God spent so much time developing the variety we see in these rocks. If I was in the place of God, and I was feeling creative, I might have developed a dozen different style of rocks. If I were in the place of God, and I were creating gemstones, I would have come up with a handful, and called it a day. But, as I look at the world around me, I see so much diversity in rocks and gemstones. Just consider the fact that there are so many types and colors of sapphire, or ruby, or quartz.

            Then I look around more at the world God created. I see the rich tapestry of color. There are so many hues of color. One body of water can display an almost infinite number of colors. A tree can display a plethora of shades of green and brown. I read somewhere that different cultures see a different number of colors in a rainbow. So, while I see six or seven colors in a rainbow, other cultures see two colors, and other cultures see 20 colors. As I look at the world around me, I begin to see the great tapestry of color that God has created, and see more of the richness God designed.

I love to garden. I am impressed by the variety that can be found in a garden. Not only can one see the different legumes, lettuces, and root vegetables, but one can see so many different cultivars and types of each fruit and vegetable. Have you ever really considered how many types of lavender there are in the world? How many roses are there? Or tomatoes? As I look through a gardening catalog, I can find three dozen different types of apple trees, or cherry trees, or strawberry plants.

Did you know that a zebra stripes are a lot like human fingerprints? No two zebras have the same set of stripes. Just as no two snowflakes have the same structures, so no two giraffes have the same markings. Isn’t that amazing? It seems that there is no limit to the differences that God can create in our world.

The same is true of humanity. We all are unique (truly one-of-a-kind, not one in every ten thousand).  Would that I could look at people with the same wonder and awe with which I view the rest of God’s creation. But, truth be told, rather than see wonder in the difference, often I am critical of the differences God created in people. Yes, I can appreciate the differences in the sexes. I can appreciate the differences in the races. But, I tend to become more critical of other differences. Why, I ask, is she so emotional? Why is he so tall? Why is his face so plain? Why are her freckles so prominent? While I value the differences in other parts of God’s creation, I often question the value of the differences in people. I think things would be simpler if everyone had the same speaking style, or emotional character. I think things would be simpler if we were all created with similar likes and dislikes, or the same work ethic, or similar worldviews. Do you sometimes find yourself wondering at God’s creation, but questioning His foresight in creating people so differently, like I do?

How shameful that my thoughts run in these ways. Everything that God created is good. But, more importantly, God’s word says that people are created in the very image of God Himself. Unlike a citrine, or a cucumber, or a chimpanzee, people are a reflection of God. Every time we question the value of a person He created, we insult God. Every time we thank Him for the beauty of a mountaintop and do not thank Him for the wonder of a lanky teenage boy, we dishonor God.

So, I will continue to be a rock hound. I will continue to be awestruck by the differences in those rocks I collect. But, they will also serve as a reminder that I need to be awestruck by each and every person God has uniquely formed.