Hammered, Cut, and Beaten

M

y dad is a jack-of-all-trades.  When I was a little boy, I could always take my toys to him if they weren’t working and he would repair them.  It didn’t take long and he would give them back to me in top working condition.  He also made sure we had the things we needed, even if he had to make them himself. 

I remember one of his projects that turned into a family affair.  My brother and I shared a room and we needed storage space and somewhere to do our homework.  Spreading our work out on the kitchen table was becoming less and less of an option.  So, my dad decided to build us a desk and a set of shelves where we could do our homework and keep our “important stuff.”

I arrived home one spring afternoon to the sounds of hammers smacking against pieces of wood.  When I discovered the source of the noise, I found my dad sitting on the steps, hammer in hand, effectively beating a piece of wood into submission.  He looked at me, told me to grab a hammer and a piece of wood and get started.  I jumped right in beside him, swinging as hard as I could.  When my brother got home, he started as well and we spent the afternoon beating up pieces of wood, poking holes in them with the tines of a fork or a meat tenderizer.  It was a great way to relive stress and it was fun!

My dad wanted the shelves to look old and worn.  He intended to take the beaten pieces of wood, sand them, stain them, and then mount them on our wall. I will never forget seeing him as he took his pocket knife and whittled away sections of the wood, creating a decorative border for each shelf and for the desk.  I can still see the blisters on his hands and the cuts he sustained while working with that wood.  With each blow of the hammer, with each cut of the knife, and with each pass of the sandpaper, the wood took on character and was transformed from an ordinary plank into something both beautiful and useful.

God uses this same process in our lives on a daily basis.  He knows what he wants to make of our lives and he knows the tools necessary for accomplishing the job.  Sometimes he uses a hammer to make deep dents in our character.  At other times, he takes a knife and cuts deeply into our hearts, removing everything that is unnecessary or harmful until we take on the shape he intends.  In addition, he pokes holes in us and he sands off our rough exteriors until we are smooth and can drink in the grace and love he so desperately wants to pour into our lives.

The prophet Jeremiah captured this image of God molding his people in his visit to the potter’s house.  In Jeremiah 18:6, God makes the following statement to Israel: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the Lord. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.”  Stop and think just a moment about the potter and his relationship with the clay. 

The potter knows what type of vessel or decorative piece he wants.  The clay, however, has no form, no shape, no function, and no purpose.  The potter takes a lump of clay in his hands and beats it down to remove all the air from it.  He knows that if any air remains, it will explode when placed into the fire.  So, the potter beats the clay, then he wets his hands and begins molding and shaping the vessel he wants.  Although he pulls, pushes, digs, and presses the clay, it never leaves his hands.  As long as the clay remains in contact with the potter, it will achieve its end and will become what the potter desires.

This is the way God wants us to be with him.  We are clay.  Without his touch, without his molding and shaping, we are useless, formless, having no function or purpose.  When God makes dents in your life, when he digs deeply into your heart, when he applies pressure to the breaking point, he only does so out of love.  He knows what you can be and he will not stop until you become the vessel he envisions.  When he is finished, you will be a vessel he can use to serve his purpose.  Are you yielding to and trusting his hand today?