March 11, 2010 by Jane Kovacs
I have a wonderful collection of heart-shaped rocks. Some are big, some are tiny, some are rough, some are smooth, some are dirty, but all are shaped like a heart … you just have to look closer at some to see it.
Grace started this collection the summer before she began kindergarten. She found the first one on the banks of the Frio River during a family vacation.
Once kindergarten started, she made it a point to look for heart-shaped rocks during recess and tucked them away in a pocket or her backpack until she could present the treasure to me at home. They have a special meaning for me. They represent her love and her thoughtfulness and, for me, they are an earthly representation of God’s grace.
When my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer the following summer, we gave one of the hearts to him. I helped Grace write a note that we tied to the heart. That rock served as a reminder of our love as my father underwent two months of radiation treatments. In our own thanksgiving for God’s grace we see at work in our own lives, we wanted to share that good news and that message of hope and love with Pawpaw.
My daughter’s gift of heart-shaped rocks has been an enduring reminder to me of God’s own grace poured down daily. The good news is that upon receiving that grace we are all transformed. We become whole and holy. God’s grace extends through us and our actions, continuing to transform and heal a broken world.