Today was a beautiful day outside. I went out to enjoy the sunshine and let my baby crawl around on new territory. I usually sit in the same spot on my property- a chair overlooking our pond. However, as my baby has grown I have found it increasingly hard to keep her away from the edge of our retaining wall that sits a few feet from my chair.
So, I opted for a change of scenery, and went to a new small concrete bench I’ve never really sat on before. I put my baby down and let her explore. I thought she’d roam far and wide, as she now had a massive concrete pad at her disposal, but she didn’t. Instead, she opted to sit right next to my little bench and started to eat the landscaping rocks! Goodness.
I kept moving her away from the rocks and then finally let her “chew” on one to satiate her curiosity. (Don’t judge- I think that letting kids learn life lessons and eat the dirt from life builds their immune systems AND their character).
I decided to try and look at the rocks from my daughter’s perspective. After all, the Bible teaches us to be like children- so maybe we should try it every once in a while!
What I discovered in the next few minutes was rather profound, if I do say so myself. I often find massive life lessons from being in nature. I found 5 different rocks that each taught me a unique lesson about people.
1. Don’t Judge a Rock by it’s Outside
The first rock I picked up looked rather simple and ordinary. It was the kind of rock we usually ignore and pay no attention too. It was gray, curvy, and looked a bit drab. But, when I picked it up and turned it around, it had a shiny spot that sparkled in the sun. The shiny spot was exposed after a little chip had been taken off. It reminded me of how we, as humans, all have something shiny and brilliant inside, but often have to go through hard things before we can/will expose them. It reminded me never to “judge a book by its cover,” and that we can find beauty in every person, if we just give them a chance to shine.
2. Just because you’re beautiful on the outside…
The second rock was gorgeous. It was pink and sparkled like party glitter on a Hallmark card, and I couldn’t help but feel drawn to it. Its beauty made it stand out from the crowd. I eagerly picked it up to examine it closer. I loved it. Then, I turned it around and saw that it had a rather large black spot inside it. I tried to clean the black spot off, as it took away from the beauty, but it was ingrained and part of the rock. I thought- wow, this rock has a black heart. It reminded me of so many “beautiful” people that are the epitome of what the world says we should be, but have “blackened” hearts. They hold a grudge, and are pretty on the outside, but ugly on the inside. We so often worship these people, until we really get to know them.
3. Open Up and Let the Sun In
The third rock I picked up was again radiant and beautiful (what can I say, I like pretty things?). It was white and sparkly and shiny. As I looked at it and turned it around, it didn’t have any dark spots or blemishes, but did have as many holes as it had sparkles. I thought about how when people open themselves up and expose their vulnerabilities, rather than making them less attractive, it draws us to them. Those of us with the most “holes” often shine the brightest in the end. (ps- these pictures do NOT do the rocks justice at all!)
4. You May Look/Feel Invisible or Dull, but…
As I picked up what appeared to be the most boring and “regular” rock I could find, I wasn’t impressed. Upon first inspection, it offered no brilliant insight or lesson. It didn’t shine. It was dark gray and had no sparkly spots. It appeared useless… until, I realized that it was the smoothest rock of all. I rubbed my fingers up against all its edges and realized that this rock, while seemingly invisible, was just the kind of rock I’d pick to have in my landscape. It was easy on the feet and made walking barefoot easy. It might not be the shiniest and most sparkly, but this is exactly how I feel about many of the people that mean the most in my life. We might not look like much from the outside, but we are loyal, fierce, and the ones that others want around the most. This rock was like a refined, wise friend. Someone that had “been there, done that” and could now lead you safely to a comfortable place to land back on your feet. This rock represents a kind friend.
5. There are Layers and Layers of History
That last rock I picked up was rather interesting and had a neat story to tell. It was a mixture of ancient Aztec colors on the outside, with a rather large piece broken off smoothly enough to reveal layers and layers of gray rock. It looked like a slate countertop, but only on the inside, once you got past the several layers of different colors on top. It reminded me of how we each have so many layers of limiting beliefs, of self-doubt, worry, fear, and paradigms, that we often never get to the truest version of ourselves without facing and eliminating those layers.
Learning how to unbecome the lies that we have been programmed to believe, is like chipping away at our diamond in the rough. Each of us was born with something amazing to add to the world, but layers of doubt, guilt, shame, and false teachings have made us feel less than. It is not until we leave the “comfort zone” of self-destructive thought, that we will expose the diamonds in our soul.
Learning from nature is one of my favorite things to do! What about you? Have you learned any lessons from staring at the “mundane” all around us? What kind of rock do you think you are or would like to be? Let me know in the comments! Also, if you’d like to know how to get rid of those layers of self-doubt and limiting beliefs, my husband and I are starting a challenge group called, “21 Days to Fall in Love With Yourself” find it Here
