Life often gets in the way! So many of us get caught in the "small stuff" in life and lose perspective on how precious each and every day can be. While stewing about my next blog, I happened to be on Facebook, catching up with friends and colleagues and came upon a wonderful journey shared by one of those colleagues. Being a lover of the sea and lifetime collector of seashells, I guess that may have been what caught my eye initially, but this story isn't really about seashells.
Let me share this warm and recent story from a colleague as he returned from a California trip and his experience seated next to a 7 year old. This is his actual story, word for word and I ask you, at the end of the story to reflect on your life and whether it's filled with seashells or something much more valuable!
"On the last leg of my plane ride home from California I sat next to a 7 year old girl named PARIS. She was on her way home from beach camp and was as full of personality as anyone I have ever met. She wore a lanyard around her neck and in the lanyard were 12 seashells she had collected from the beach.
She proceeded to tell me that these 12 were the most awesome seashells on the whole beach and that she had spent hours looking for them and that she couldn't wait to give them all to her mom.
During some turbulence one of the seashells fell out of her lanyard and rolled under the seats. I immediately started to help her look for the shell she had lost. I assumed she would be upset the entire rest of the trip if we couldn't find it. And I really didn't want a crying 7 year old next to me for 4 hours.
After about 2 minutes of looking she told me to get up off the floor and not to worry. She looked at me and said...
"Don't worry Bryan, it's just a seashell. It's not like it's my whole life. My mom will just be happy I made it home alive. I can always get more seashells, but I only get one mommy and my mommy only gets one of me. No need to be upset over one seashell."
I was speechless. Even at 7 years of age PARIS already knew between material items and meaningful ones. I immediately reflected on my life and whether or not that's how I look at my "seashells."
I firmly believe God sat this little girl next to me on purpose. Too often we place over emphasis on material items and lose sight of what's most important. And when it happens, don't forget the words of a spunky little girl named PARIS.
Let me share this warm and recent story from a colleague as he returned from a California trip and his experience seated next to a 7 year old. This is his actual story, word for word and I ask you, at the end of the story to reflect on your life and whether it's filled with seashells or something much more valuable!
"On the last leg of my plane ride home from California I sat next to a 7 year old girl named PARIS. She was on her way home from beach camp and was as full of personality as anyone I have ever met. She wore a lanyard around her neck and in the lanyard were 12 seashells she had collected from the beach.
She proceeded to tell me that these 12 were the most awesome seashells on the whole beach and that she had spent hours looking for them and that she couldn't wait to give them all to her mom.
During some turbulence one of the seashells fell out of her lanyard and rolled under the seats. I immediately started to help her look for the shell she had lost. I assumed she would be upset the entire rest of the trip if we couldn't find it. And I really didn't want a crying 7 year old next to me for 4 hours.
After about 2 minutes of looking she told me to get up off the floor and not to worry. She looked at me and said...
"Don't worry Bryan, it's just a seashell. It's not like it's my whole life. My mom will just be happy I made it home alive. I can always get more seashells, but I only get one mommy and my mommy only gets one of me. No need to be upset over one seashell."
I was speechless. Even at 7 years of age PARIS already knew between material items and meaningful ones. I immediately reflected on my life and whether or not that's how I look at my "seashells."
I firmly believe God sat this little girl next to me on purpose. Too often we place over emphasis on material items and lose sight of what's most important. And when it happens, don't forget the words of a spunky little girl named PARIS.
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