Day #16: Starting From A Block Of Wood

I also could speak like you,
if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
and shake my head at you.
~Job 16:4

I'm going to be honest. Sometimes I'm not sympathetic. I speak before putting myself in the other person's shoes. I admonish before I love. And frequently, I am much rougher than necessary. I have many downfalls, and I am no where near perfect.

Let me tell you a secret. I don't like drawing self-portraits. Like I literally don't like drawing self-portraits. I don't like stepping back and assessing who I am because I am afraid I won't like what I see. Not saying I'm insecure, I love being me, and I love who God created me to be. However, I'm afraid that if I were to look hard enough, I would see all my faults and negative traits.

A couple weeks ago my brother entered a pinewood derby. He and my dad spent hours perfecting his car. Cutting it to shape, sanding it down, and painting it. They worked exceptionally hard on it, and their work paid off. Jameson won first place in his pack, out of 27 cars. At the district races Jameson's car made it to the second to last heat, racing against 41 cars.

I guess I'm kinda like God's block of wood. I'm a raw piece of wood, and He's shaping me into who He wants me to be. Every time he reminds me to be loving instead of admonishing, He sands down a rough edge. And finally, one day when I'm finished, He will paint me. He knows who I am and who I will be. He knows my faults and is working on fixing them. I'm on my way to my destination and God is leading me there.


Photo #16: Starting from a block of wood.