This week, I began work on my version of Tux 500 for an Awana Grand Prix next spring. My brother is helping me with it. Yesterday, we cut out the different pieces, using various saws in the process. (Yes, I have all my fingers yet - Randy made a special tool so that my shaky left hand wouldn’t have to be near the blade.) Today, I used sanders to polish the wood.
As I was working on sanding the pieces, it reminded me of what God has been doing in my life. First, He created me with all the different pieces and materials that would make up my life. However, there were (and are) rough edges that need to come off. So, He used the coarse sander to polish those. He applied just the correct amount of pressure to knock off imperfections and make a better finish.
However, He wasn’t satisfied there. Next, He has been going deeper. He is taking the fine sander and polishing again. This one goes into the deeper crevices and hurts more, but the finish will reflect more of His handiwork. For, the finished product is a reflection of Him, not of the piece of wood. The piece of wood is just an old block on its own - basically worthless.
He still isn’t finished. He needs to put together the pieces of my life, sand and polish some more, add a coat of paint, and decoration before I will be a finished product. However, the more He works in my life, the more I will reflect His handiwork and my time with Him on His workbench.
Unlike my car which will not race until it is finished, He has me running the race now. He has a specific course/purpose in mind for me to do now as well as later after more work is done. What an awesome God!
The following Scriptures and the song “Molding a Masterpiece” (Ron Hamilton) came to mind while I was working on my car.
Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: [when] he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Jeremiah 18:1-4 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make [it].
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
