“Look at this one!” Todd held up a whelk shell. “It’s huge!”

“Here’s a pretty one!” Amanda showed her brother a pretty pink scallop.

The children combed the beach, climbing over rocks as they collected their treasure. Soon their buckets were full, and they turned back toward the lighthouse where their grandfather was the keeper.

As they trudged back up the hill, Grandpa came out to meet them.

“What have you found?”

Todd and Amanda excitedly poured out the assortment of shells. Sand dollars, cones, scallops and dried starfish were among the bounty.

“Well, those are mighty pretty. Did you see anything besides shells and starfish?”

The children looked at each other then back to their grandfather and shook their heads.

“Nothing but some old boards, just junk,” Todd said.

 “Hmm. Just junk, you say?”  Grandpa scratched his snowy beard. “Why don’t you take me along and show me?”

Todd shrugged, and started back to the beach with Grandpa and Amanda following.

“There – that trash. It’s just some old boards.” Todd pointed to a pile.

“Well, now, I’d say this looks like a treasure.” Grandpa picked up several of the boards and carried them back up the hill.

“What’re you going to do with them?” Grandpa winked and went to his workroom.  “You’ll see. I’ll show you tomorrow.”

The next day, Grandpa appeared at the door of the keeper’s house with a new wood wagon, painted red.

“A new wagon!” The children danced around in delight. “Where’d you get it, Grandpa?”

“Remember that old wood you said was nothing but trash and junk?”

“You made it out of them?” Todd pointed to the wagon.

“Sure did. Just like I made those flower boxes over there for your grandma and that cage for your rabbit.”

The children glanced around at all the things that had been made from old boards, their eyes wide in amazement.

“You made something new out of something old and junky.” Amanda said.

“That’s right. Many things you think are worthless can be renewed and repurposed.” Grandpa nodded.

Like the old wood, God can do the same with us. We may feel worthless and good for nothing, but He can make us new and give us purpose.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Cor. 5:17