Buttons are fascinating! They began as simply being ornamental, and later became a functional addition to wardrobes. The oldest button in the world was found in the Indus Valley of Pakistan and was made of a curved shell. It was estimated to be 5,000 years old.

A friend recently wrote a post about her grandmother’s button tin, and it brought some fond memories to the surface of my mind. I began to reminisce about my own mother’s beautiful lead crystal candy dish which actually contained a myriad of buttons instead of candy. Prior to this lovely dish, she also used a metal tin. I was always fascinated by the beautiful buttons and would remove the lid and run my fingers through them. For many years this pretty container was kept on the end of her dresser and readily available for the missing button on a shirt or dress.

I cannot even recall how I began my own collection of buttons, but mine are contained in a couple of glass lidded jars. One jar is various shades of white and cream buttons, and the other houses a variety of colors and shapes. Perhaps my collection began with the extra button that came with the purchase of a new piece of apparel. This was frequently supplied by an attached tiny bag and came in handy at the loss of a button. Some buttons were removed from worn-out clothing and placed in my jars. Others were seemingly insignificant with no remembered story. However, behind each button is a story to be told.

Somehow the buttons led me to contemplating my life story. So many events created the layers of my life and made me who I am today. Some of my life buttons were beautiful and filled my jar with intense joy, while others placed in my container were painful and I would have preferred omitted. A few tore away at my spirit and left me hurting in despair. But one by one each personal button filled my jar and created me into the unique individual that God intended me to be.

Take a look at your own container of buttons and allow yourself to go down the memory lane of your life. Sometimes there are broken or cracked buttons that we need to toss aside; however, the complete variety of colors and styles is a beauty to behold. When placed all together, the fragments, cracks and broken pieces are not visible when surrounded by the loveliness of the bunch.

Lesson learned: Every button that became a part of your story was allowed by our Creator who knows the ending from the beginning.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 so wonderfully reminds us: He hath made every thing beautiful in His time . . .