Sometimes when I am searching for rocks, I don’t always take home the treasures that I find.  Bent over the clear water, I search for the love of finding something unique even if it means I only observe for a few moments…sometimes never taking it out of the water. Really it depends upon what my goal is and whether I have room for what I discover.

You see, in the beginning, I would hungrily take every beautiful rock I came across.  It was exciting to fill my pockets with these new wonders.  I couldn’t bear to leave one in the shallows wondering if it would ever be appreciated again.  I was sure I had a place for it… somewhere!

Within short order, I learned a few things. One, those rocks are stunning in the water, but not so pretty dried out.  Patterns that danced in the daylight under the pressure and refraction of the gliding water faded into obscurity of grey dullness when toweled off by the air and sunlight.  Water is what they need to bring out their inner beauty.  Secondly, I found that there were always more rocks with each new search, which meant I really needed to think on whether to add the new find to my collection.  Lastly, apart from being in the lake, they really needed something to hold them.  Piles of dry grey rocks here and there bring little value to the wonder that they are when they are wet.

Suddenly I needed containers that could best house my growing collection.  To my favorite store I ran and began to search for the best apothecary (or even cookie) jars that would house both the rocks and some water.  Balance in my decorating use of these stones and jars required that I weed out the best and return the rest.  Soon, my jars were holding the very best gems from my trips.

And so, it has also been similar in my journey with God.  When I wrote of sitting by the fire, I mentioned that not only did I have my Bible that I was reading and thinking upon, but also I had my journal near.  Now, please understand, I am not a  person who has ever kept a diary.  Nor I am someone who is rigid about routines.  Somehow, though, along the way in my walk with God, I realized I needed somewhere to put His gems of truth that I was finding.  A journal turned out to be the best storage place for my thoughts and His word.

In the beginning of my gathering stones, I tried to keep it rather simple.  A plain glass cookie jar definitely held my rocks well.  Of course, as I continued to gather and look, I found an amazing three part set of stacking glass sections that really marveled the eye with its layers to explore.  It seemed that every trip to the store offered a slightly new and different way to display my treasures.

The same could be said when it comes to documenting.  You might find that creating a word document or something on Google docs really helps.  For another, it might be a simple spiral bound notebook just like if you were in class.  And for myself, I tried both.  I liked both, but one day, I was at a store and came across a beautiful leather bound journal. Pricier than spiral bound, but not by too much.  And since I like pretty and inspiring things, these type of journals have become my preferred spot to write.  I pick up a new one about half way through my current one, or when I just can’t pass up on the quote that is displayed on the cover.

Now you might be wondering where I am going with this?  Why is a journal important? Because much like the stones that will dry out and fade into obscurity if not displayed in a way that they can be seen, the same will happen with your thoughts on Scripture.  You’ll think, and then it will be gone.  A verse might jump off the page at you and zing your heart, but if it has no where to land, you may not find it again or remember why it really spoke to you at that moment.

More so, this collection–if you begin one–when brought together might display things to you on reflection that you didn’t see when you initially found it.  Days and verses will begin to guide your thoughts back to a needed area and help you dig deeper.  Themes may begin to appear that spur more revelation, hope, conviction and change.  You will have a guideline as well as timeline that you may later wish to return to…memories logged, encouraging words that helped, a history that is not only your own, but displays how God has been with you.  It will be a priceless inspiration to shore up your faith during the storms of life when we often need reminders…

Recognize that where and how you store your rocks is completely up to you.  In fact, you can stack the rocks any way you want.  What and when you choose to write is entirely yours to decide as it will be your journal.  One piece of encouragement that I’ll pass along is to make a note of your thoughts at the time of writing. When I started to journal, I would log the Scripture that I opened to and whatever verses and notes I explored.  While it was interesting to read, later, I would often have no idea why I wrote it down.  Where I had made notes of my thoughts, feelings or the happenings in my life is where I gained the most insight upon returned reflection.  It was nice to know why I felt compelled to write down His words, why they moved me.  The words with no personal application are kind of like the rocks I sometimes still find in piles, all dried out from the sun.  I can pass by them quickly because I am no longer inspired by them as they have lost their luster with no water to make them shine.  Little notes next to your verses will be part of your display that helps the Scripture continue to influence your life not only then but when and if you later return to them.

So remember one of the necessary tools for hunting rocks is a container to display your treasures.  Somewhere you can store them that continues to bring out the beauty that touched and inspired your soul in the first place.

“Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.”  Lamentations 2:19