I'm finishing up with Ashley here. I've been wanting to do a scene with the siblings walking down the beach at sunset. Their mom is with them as well.
Ashley Hart (part 3)
One spring Saturday Ashley and her children spent the whole day at the Oregon coast. Debbie and Jon were both already in college. Sarah was in her mid teens while Beckie had just entered the beginning of her teens. They spent the entire day window shopping and looking out for whales breaking the surface out in the Pacific Ocean. They went through a few different communities on Highway 101 and enjoyed the sights. They had lunch at a deli, and ice cream sundaes at the ice cream shop next door.
It was something that Ashley liked to do with her children every year in the spring. Now that her children were starting to reach adulthood she made sure she scheduled it so that they could all go together. She made sure that no one was ever left out.
That evening they had dinner at a restaurant that overlooked the ocean. They were all seated at a booth beside a big window. While they ate they occasionally gazed out at the small waves rolling in and looking sort of like the outside edges of a spiral. After dinner they strolled down the beach while the sun was just setting over the Pacific. The sunset started to bathe the ocean and ocean cliffs in varying shades of gold, pink, and red. Gulls soared overhead and called out to each other. Debbie started humming the melody of a hymn, and her mother joined in with her. They both walked at the head of the group.
Meanwhile Sarah picked up a few pretty seashells, as they walked along, and added them to a plastic bag that she had brought with her. She planned to add them to her growing collection that she had displayed on shelves back home in her bedroom. Now Sarah picked up another one even though it was broken and really only a shard. But she loved the touch of pastel blues and pinks that it showed. She held it in her hands and admired it.
Jon moved over beside her. "You know you're going to eventually run out of room to display all of your seashells."
"I'll make room," Sarah quietly replied.
Beckie glanced at the seashell and gave it a doubtful look. "Why would anyone want a broken seashell?"
Sarah defended, "It's still pretty."
"Right." Beckie rolled her eyes.
Jon commented, "You can say that seashells are like people. No matter how broken they are God can still use them."
Beckie did not say another word. Still she rolled her eyes again.
Now Mom stepped back and saw the seashell still in Sarah's hands. "Honey, can't you find one that's in better shape than that? You have other broken ones at home."
"But, I love the colors," Sarah answered meekly.
Mom sighed heavily like she was just a little bit exasperated.
Sarah briefly gazed down at the ground and wondered if she should put the seashell back. Suddenly, with a firm look in his blue eyes, Jon pointed at her bag. Sarah slightly smiled, and put the seashell in.
Jon informed, "Mom, she still sees the beauty that God put in it."
"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -- and the things that are not -- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him."
I Corinthians 1:27-29
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
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