Sparkles and Tarnish

Last night I sat with a necklace and a cleaning cloth. Cleaning jewelry is intricate and sometimes tedious work, but the same could be said for making rosaries. I like it, though. The repetition gives me the opportunity to think about other things while I work.

Last night I thought about the story of the necklace I was cleaning. It was a morganite charm on a rose gold chain. Morganite is a delicate stone from the barrel family, reaching a five or so on Moh's scale of hardness, and sought after for its peachy color. Cubic zirconia is a tougher, lab-grown chameleon with more fire on its worse day than a perfectly cut original. It reaches an eight on Moh's scale of hardness, third only to corundum and diamonds.

Motherhood is like that. The wear of the week makes me feel a little tarnished. There are challenges and conflicts that need my singular talents to resolve. I may long to be a morganite, but down deep I am grateful that God made me a cubic zirconia instead. With a little love, I can still sparkle with the best of them!

You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self you know. Psalm 139: 13-14