Geodes

Any geologist would instantly know that a Geode is a
very unique rock. The ones we find near the volcanic
fields in the Snake River Valley of Idaho have a rough
brown outer surface These are formed by the filling
of vesicles (gas bubbles) in volcanic rock by mineral
deposits in the heated fluids. After the cavity hardens,
dissolved minerals are deposited inside the hard
surface. Crystals slowly form on the inside.

Last evening I gave one of these nondescript stones
a sharp tap of the hammer and a world of sparkling
crystals appeared. How could something so ordinary--
I would never have picked up this rock and taken it
home--contain such beauty?

Reader, we the Body of Christ are like Geodes, rough
and plain on the outside, but inside? Oh, the glory of
where our Lord dwells!

"Christ in you, the hope of glory!"

Geodes come in a variety of colors and shapes:
http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/geode_11.html