Decorated Rocks Around The Woodlands Bring Message of Hope and Solidarity

THE WOODLANDS, TX – Community members around The Woodlands may notice decorated rocks along pathways. Some are colorfully painted, some contain a positive message, but no matter the design, the intent behind them is the same. Meant to evoke a moment of optimism in the heaviness of today, these small treasures serve as a reminder of hope, and unity.

Jessica Fraser, author of, Keep Going: A 30-Day Devotional of Encouragement and Truth for Moms, created rocks with her own children. Here’s what she had to say about this new trend:

Question: What made you want to participate in this 'movement' of sorts? How did you hear about it?

Answer: Our neighborhood has an entire pathway dedicated to painted rocks. It started out as one family leaving their rocks along with a sign to invite other families to do the same. Within a week's time, the pathway was beautifully decorated with painted rocks. And today, all those rocks are still there and more show up each day. When we saw the creativity and the hope the rocks were bringing (as many had encouraging messages written on them) we knew instantly we wanted to participate. The world seemed to rage around us; yet this winding trail in our neighborhood made us all feel connected and like we were in it together. It's incredible what hope can do to change the course of things. And who knew that painted rocks could bring such hope?!

Q: Do your kids have fun painting and placing the rocks? How do you decorate them?

A: We had a blast. My kids took the time to pick the perfect rock based on what they wanted to paint. We set up paints and brushes out in our driveway and just relished the moment of creativity. It was our time to shut out the uncertainty around us and focus on the beauty in front of us. And of course, when the rocks were finished it was a big deal to the kids to find the perfect spot to place them along the trail! From start to finish, every part of the process was meaningful for them.

Q: How does seeing these rocks while walking affect your day and mood, and that of your children?

A: Hope. These simple painted and colored rocks give us hope and remind us gently that the world will always be full of things that are scary and unknown, but when we cling to hope and look for the good, we can persevere. It's as if these rocks are cheering us on and shouting at us, 'You can do this! Hang in there!' Our neighborhood felt a strong sense of community doing this project and whenever we walked by them, it immediately reminded us that we are all in this together.

Q: How do you hope other people react when they see the rocks y'all have painted? What kind of difference do you wish to make?

A: We hope that our rocks bring encouragement. We had rocks with Bible verses on them and pictures of the kids' favorite video games. Our hope is that in seeing our family's rocks, it will change the course of someone's day. We even put a painted rock at our front door so as UPS drivers or people come by our house they see it. The COVID crisis brought us all to a crossroads, and when dealing with something as major as this pandemic, we all have a choice - will we choose to see the hope and be the encouragement, or will we allow fear to win the day? Our family chooses hope. We know that God is in control and we rest securely in the promises of the Bible. And while a rock may not change a person's entire life, if it affects someone positively for just a moment, well then it's done its job.

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