I don’t wear much jewelry. Many years ago, I wore a gold chain around my neck, but that story is best left for another time and place. Currently, I wear a wedding ring and a watch. During the many years of my corporate career, I was buttoned up in my appearance. Since my retirement, I have dreamed of becoming edgier. I have considered a beard, ponytail, maybe a piercing. Despite my desire to live on the edge, I have never strayed far from my previous corporate image. The only piece of jewelry I have added to my wardrobe is a rope necklace with a small stone attached. A silver cross is embedded on the stone. This necklace is not expensive, but it holds a lot of sentimental value.

In 2012, I took a trip to Israel to visit the Holy Land. One stop on our tour was the Sea of Galilee. We took a boat ride and were in the general area where Christ walked on water and preached His sermon on the mount. While most of my trip to Israel was mildly disappointing, this stop touched me deeply. It was a beautiful day, and due to the uniqueness of the location, my imagination was more active than usual. I was moved deeply by being at this historic location. One of the reasons I was mildly disappointed in my trip to Israel was the hyper-tourism on display at every landmark site. This location was no exception, and I succumbed to the temptation and purchased the necklace mentioned above from a vendor on the boat

At first, I didn’t wear the necklace; I just kept it in a drawer. At some point, probably trying to be edgier, I wore the necklace and felt the stone at a moment when anger was welling up within me. I was able to have a mental flashback to that boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. The process of this image flashing into my head caused me to calm down and let the anger pass. After this incident, I began to wear the necklace all the time to remind me to be a good person.

The necklace was cheap and was not well made. I was concerned about breaking the necklace by wearing every day. Surprisingly it held up well for seven years. A few weeks ago, I dropped the necklace on a hard tile floor. A large piece of the stone broke off. The cross is still intact, but the stone is clearly broken.

Even though my necklace is now broken, I continue to wear it, and it serves the same purpose. The vision of my broken necklace made me think about how I am also broken but still whole through Christ. Christ takes my broken life and makes me whole. Now my necklace not only reminds me to be a good person but also that Christ died for my sins and made me, a broken person, whole again.

If you see me walking around, you can be sure that there is a broken necklace under my shirt reminding this broken person that he is whole in Christ. Also, now you know that I am ever so slightly edgy. 😊

Make the most of this day!