Rock Tumbler Theology

After a heavy rain this summer, I had an idea.

“Let’s go looking for arrow heads,” I announced. Makayla and I went down to a nearby creek to see what had washed out from the banks. I’d found them this way as a kid, and that was enough to motivate Makayla.

But it wasn’t to be on this day. Instead, I found a small piece of blue glass that had rolled downstream. Must have been moving for years, as the edges were all worn smooth. I held it up to the evening light and it shone bright blue.

“Look, Makayla, a river jewel,” I said. “Found it right here in the sand.”

“Wow, let me see!” she exclaimed. I explained how all the rolling and bumping had made it smooth, and instantly our search parameters shifted — we were looking for river jewels.

As a child, I was a collector of all things, particularly interesting rocks. I was fascinated with crystals, colors, and shapes. I’m told that I had buckets of them under beds and in closets, every one important and valuable.

For my birthday one year, I was given a “rock tumbler.” I loved it; just saying the name was exciting to me. Beautifully polished stones were shown on the box, the kind that could be made into jewelry or put on display. I couldn’t wait to try it out. I wanted my favorite rocks, smoothed and in hand, as soon as possible. To this day, I wonder if it wasn’t a parental ploy to clear out my various collections. Whatever the motivation, it worked. I found my best rocks and with instructions in hand I ran to the basement to set it up.

Plugging the machine into the wall, and dumping my rocks in the barrel, I followed the directions exactly. Dump in the course grit, and fill with water to the top of the rocks, screw the top on tight, and flip on the switch. The barrel twisted to life, and the scraping and grinding, sloshing and sloughing began. It was exciting; I couldn’t wait to see the transformation, looking back at the pictures on the box. The rhythmic rumbling sound was like a mini dryer with gym shoes bouncing around on the inside. It was the noise of progress. But it was annoying, too, especially to family members less excited. The tumbler was moved to the garage.

Time feels different as a child, and I grew impatient.

“How long was this supposed to take, anyway?” I said to myself. Reaching for the instructions that had been cast aside in my haste to get going, I read, “Allow the tumbler to run for about a week.”

“A week? Are you kidding me?” I had visions of gemstones in my pockets later that afternoon. Reading on, I saw that there were three additional stages of grit and polish, each requiring at least a week to complete. I couldn’t believe it. It would take nearly a month to finish, when I’d figured an hour.

Allowing Jesus to take the lead in all things is how it's done

The process of smoothing stones is a helpful metaphor, I think. The most valuable pieces of life usually start little, rough, and ugly. Wonderfully, God is in the habit of collecting valuable things (us) and He’s a master at fashioning them into gems of great personal worth. That is, if we let Him. Allowing Jesus to take the lead in all things is how it’s done. We may not always agree with His methods, but He requires complete trust. Sometimes He takes care to smooth us by adding grit and murky water and allows us to spin around in dark places for what seems like forever.

I lost interest in the tumbler after a day or two, and it was left grinding away in the garage. Every time we pulled the car in, we were reminded.

It’s hard to feel like God’s favorite when the slurry of irritation, and the grinding rotation of life has turned us upside down. But that’s the perfect time to recount the promises of God. He never leaves nor forsakes you (Duet. 31:6); He will bring to completion that which He started (Phil 1:6); you will reap a harvest if you don’t give up (Gal 6:9). It’s the encouragement needed to those in such days.

"He will bring to completion that which He started."

Rock tumbler theology — it’s what Jesus was describing when He said, “In this life you will have trouble, but take heart, I’ve overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Grit and sand are part of the plan, patient endurance in the process is up to us.

My favorite part of the rock tumbling experience is pouring that sludgy mess onto the grass and washing the stones with the garden hose. It’s only in last moment that the incredible transformation is clearly seen. Though it might not have felt like it, all the time and effort had been worth it. My prized pieces were made even more brilliant and ready for display.

I believe God keeps a similar perspective when allowing different ingredients to rub against our lives. Navigating can be a confusing course, but the goodness of God can be trusted. I can almost hear Him saying, “It’s gonna be worth it.” When darkness gives way to light, when grime gives way to clean, the water of life reveals the prize.“It’s gonna be worth it all.”

Makayla and I gathered 5 or 6 pieces of colored glass in the wash of the creek that evening, all with time-worn edges. Holding them up to the waning light, we enjoyed their glow and shine, and there began our next collection.

Are you in a tumbler these days? Perhaps God’s polishing one of His favorite collectibles.