The Imperfect Sand Dollars

Last week, my whole family went on a vacation to Kiawah Island in South Carolina. Although we made many memories and I could share a bunch about our time at the beach, I'm going to concentrate on one thing. One morning, Dad, Mom, Maria, Calvin, Addie, and I woke up very early and left our rental at 6:30 on our bikes. We went to the beach and started biking with the wind, looking for anything special. Dad was on the tag-along with Calvin, and they found a couple sand dollars. When he biked over to me he told me they weren't perfect, but I didn't mind. As I biked more along the ocean, I let my mind wander. I thought about getting rid of the sand dollars since they weren't perfect. Then a thought flooded into my mind. I am an imperfect sand dollar. You might think that sounds silly, but it is the truth. Every one of us is an imperfect sand dollar.

Before Christ came, people had to make sacrifices to God whenever they sinned. After Christ shed his blood on the cross, what we have to do is be born again. That might confuse people. Nicodemus was confused when Christ told him about being born again. What Christ meant is that we have to put away the old man and put on the new man. That means everything we do should glorify God and repent if we have sinned. We need to ask for forgiveness if we have wronged someone or pray for forgiveness if we have done wrong before God. These steps are definitely not easy. A young rich man didn't want to give up his riches when he wanted to serve Christ. In the Bible it says that by His stripes, we are healed. Now comes the analogy with the imperfect sand dollars

 I don't know how those sand dollars got cracked, but I know how we can get "cracked". Satan. He tries so hard to lead everybody into evil. He is very smart, but that doesn't mean he is wise. He only knows how to lead people astray. He learns about what you like by your actions, what you say, or what you enjoy doing. God is the one who should know your real heart. He makes us seem like good sand dollars by forgiving and He is the One everyone should follow. He will make you a "perfect sand dollar". That is the same with the cracked sand dollars. People may see them and pass them by, or throw them back in the ocean. But they don't they beauty of the sand dollar. It is God's creation. He did make it perfect, just like how we are as a newborn babe. But soon every person falls into sin. The only perfect human that was ever on this earth was Christ, who gave his life for every person.

Unfortunately, on the way home from the beach, the sand dollars got cracked when I went over bumps on my bike. They got into such small pieces that it would have been almost impossible to glue them together. I threw those pieces out, but God won't do that to you. Even if you get so cracked you don't think God can forgive you, He will try His hardest. He will accept your forgiveness if you let Him. He will turn an imperfect sand dollar into a perfect one.