Monday Morning Memo: Chiseling

For those of you who are on Facebook, you know that sometimes when you go on your page, it will show you posts that you made previously on that date.  Well, the other morning, I found myself reading the following, which I had posted on Facebook several years ago:

"Choose to believe the truth that God is changing you, and you should clear up a lot of confusion. Next time you wonder about what you are seeing or experiencing and struggle to know what God could be up to, just say to yourself, 'He is changing me,' and you'll be right. Next time disappointments or heartaches come (maybe you're in the midst of them right now), you might hear yourself asking, 'God, what are You doing?' Next time you look over your shoulder in the midst of your pain, try to recognize that God Himself is holding the hammer and chisel." (from the book, "Lord Change Me")

I’m sure these words must have had an impact on me when I read this book, or I wouldn’t have posted them.  But I can’t imagine that they had the same impact then, as they did this week when I re-read them.  The reason is because of where I am in my life right now and how one particular word has a much greater meaning now than it would have had then.

The word that jumped off the page at me came at the very end and when I read the word “chisel” I laughed out loud.  This word has not been used in a positive way since I underwent back surgery eight weeks ago.  The reason is that during those hours on the operating table, lots of bone was chiseled out of me.  I had a back fusion 16 years ago, which included placing rods and screws in my spine.  Since this new fusion would need to be hooked onto the old fusion, all the bone that had grown around this “hardware” had to be chiseled out so that the old could be removed (see picture!) and new, longer rods and screws could be inserted.  As I’m sure you can imagine, I have been left with pain from all of their chiseling.

As I’ve thought about this, I have realized how much what happened to me in this surgery is like what this book excerpt is talking about.  My surgeon knew that for me to be stronger…for me to hopefully some day be in less pain…the old had to be chiseled away.  I’m sure he knew that in doing so, I would have to experience more pain as I healed, but he needed to do what was best for me in the long run.  It sure wasn’t what I wanted, but I had to be willing to put myself in the hands of my surgeon and trust that he knew what was best for me.

The same is true in my Christian walk.  There are times when there are things in my life that need to be cut away.  It might have something to do with my attitude, my priorities or maybe my lack of faith and chiseling needs to be done to make me look more like my Jesus.  Or, I’ve realized that it may be that what is being cut away isn’t anything that is bad, it just needs removed so that it can be replaced with something that will make me stronger in the long run.

Will the process cause me pain?  More than likely the answer is yes.  But I have to put myself in the hands of my Jesus and trust that He knows best.  I have to willingly allow Him to use the hammer and the chisel on my life so that I can be changed into a more devoted follower of His and look more and more like my Jesus.

If I’m honest, I have to admit that I have said the words, “God what are you doing?”, more than once over these past weeks and I’m sure you have probably said it a few times yourself.  What we are going through doesn’t always make sense and it can easily lead to confusion and inner turmoil.  It’s at these times that we need to remind ourselves that God is working in us and changing us during our times of disappointments, heartaches and pain.  While we may not enjoy it, we can be confident that everything He does is for our best interest and for His glory.

If we think about it…it is kind of exciting.  The God of the universe is working within us and through us so that we can be more like Him.  It really amazes me that He sees hope in someone with as many flaws as I have and He desires to patiently mold and prune me so that others can see Him in me.  And the same is true for you.  What an honor! 

“So all of us who have had that veil removed

can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.

And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us 

more and more like him

as we are changed into his glorious image.”

2 Corinthians 3:18