As the tide rolled in and rushed out on this breezy September morning, it left behind a vast array of shimmering jewels. For as far as the eye could see, there were beautiful shells, sandollars, and even a few starfish. It was truly an amazing sight. Of course, it was like this after every storm, as the ocean fought within itself, they couldn't be contained. So, it was no different after the storm that had just passed. As the rising sun shone down on the shore, these beautiful creatures glistened in the sun's rays.

Among those beautiful trinkets that were left, there was a somewhat odd looking shell whose name was Sandy. With each wave that brought Sandy to shore, she was filled with hope. Hope that today would be the day that some boy or girl would rush over to pick her up and shout with excitement to their Mom, "Look at what I found," and then be tossed into a sand bucket like a prized possession!! You see, Sandy, although the perfect size for a collectible seashell was all alone. She was often picked up, but then as she was turned over and the small cracks and inconsistencies in her fragile shell were discovered, she was immediately tossed back into the sand. It was a lonely life that Sandy lived. She didn't quite understand why no one could see the beauty within her shell. Wasn't there anyone that could rescue her from this life of shame and turmoil?

This particular morning there were lots of visitors to this small island. It seems that they came to observe God's glory in the crashing waves that the storm had brought about. As the family walked along the beach, they were amazed at the power of the winds that were blowing sand everywhere. It certainly wasn't going to be a good day for swimming they thought out loud, as the waves that came crashing in were as high as the father that walked with the small children. 

"What are we going to do?" exclaimed the youngest of their trio. "We really wanted to go in the water, but we are afraid we would be carried out to sea!" As he looked out into the massive rushing of water, you could see the disappointment on his face. "Why don't we walk along the shore and see what treasures God left behind for us this morning" their father exclaimed. So, they set off to see what treasures they could find.

Sandy was lying their trying her best not to feel sorry for herself like she sometimes found herself doing, when she thought she heard footsteps. "Could it be?" she thought to herself. She thought for sure that all hope was lost, and she was simply waiting for the tide to take her on yet another lonely journey. As the footsteps got closer, she found herself putting on her best smile, and moving ever so slightly as to hide the cracks on her shell. She desperately wanted a "new" life!

The young boy picked Sandy up, turned her over and looked at her for a moment. There were small cracks in the shell, but he saw past all of that. What he saw was the beautiful colors of purple and pink, and he felt the smoothness as he rubbed his fingers on the inside of her shell . He stopped for a moment as if he could hear the shell speaking to him. He held it to his ear, and it was as if the shell were asking him to save her. He looked around to make sure no one was looking at him because he was sure they would all think he was crazy. A shell couldn't talk-but it was as if this shell was calling to him. Instead of tossing it back onto the sand, he closed his hand around the shell and once again set out on his treasure hunt. Not exactly sure what it was that drew him to this shell, he felt a sense of joy adding it to his collection.   All the while, Sandy was filled with excitement and joy as well! She had finally been rescued! No more lonely nights at sea, no more days filled with self-pity! At last she was filled with a sense of hope. This young boy, who was out on his treasure hunt, saw past her imperfections, and he saw her need to be saved!

So, Sandy started a new life. She was no longer taken from place to place, for the boy had the perfect place for Sandy. She lived out her life on his bookshelf beside all of his other prized possessions. She was happy and content for the rest of her days.

The End