Being whittled away

Does the clay say to the potter, `What are you making?' (Isaiah 45:9)

There’s an old story about a piece of wood that complained constantly. You see, that piece of wood had been picked up by a man with a sharp little knife. Every day, the man whittled away at the wood, gouging out holes and trimming away rough spots. The piece of wood was very unhappy with this treatment, constantly complaining about the pain, and accusing the man of mistreatment. But despite all the tears and whining, the man contined to use his knife on the wood.

One day, the pain finally stopped. The man laid down his knife; his work was done. Gently, the whittler brought the piece of wood to his lips, placed his fingers over the holes, and began playing the flute that he’d carved. The song was haunting—the piece of wood was astonished that it could produce anything so beautiful. For the first time since the knife had begun its work, the piece of wood was glad of the whittler’s touch.

This story is our story. We are pieces of wood, rough and filled with knots. God is the man who sees the potential for beauty in us. He picks us up and starts shaping us according to His design. He trims away the tough bark of our callous nature. He shaves off our crookedness so that we are smooth and straight. Sometimes we yelp in surprise when He starts cutting out a hole for His finger to produce a new musical tone. We complain that God is mistreating us, never stopping to consider that perhaps, just perhaps, He is shaping us into something better.

King David serves as an example. He suffered much in his life—war, political unrest, and problems in the family. Yet these afflictions turned David into God’s musician. David wrote songs that express great joy and terrible sorrow, songs that rejoice in the beauty of life and echo with despair born of tragedy. But David’s Psalms are always filled with love for God—appreciation for His blessings, and complete trust in His merciful love. The Psalms of David remain popular thousands of years after his death, because God shaped their composer into a man of beautiful, vibrant faith.

When life is hard, don’t get angry with God or give in to despair. Trust Him to do what’s right, and He will make you into something that is beautiful in His hands.