How a Carpenter Works…

June 29, 2011

How does a carpenter work

When that Carpenter

Is no ordinary Man

But fully a Man?

An ordinary man can be average

Or above average

In terms of skill

In terms of speed

In terms of workmanship

But how does a carpenter work

When that Carpenter

Is no ordinary Man

Though fully a Man?

How did You look as You planned Your day

And went along Your merry way

Hacking and cutting and measuring

Checking, re-measuring, and attaching?

Did You work all by Yourself

Or did You ever supervise others?

Was Your calling of those fishermen

Not something new of You at all?

If You did work with others, how did they feel

When they saw how perfectly You estimated things

How cleanly You built things?

How did they feel

When, under the sweltering sun

You could still make jokes

Still make them laugh

Always lightening the load?

How did they feel

When they saw how quickly

You worked through Your tasks for the day?

And still turning out perfect work

With nothing sticking out

Where it shouldn’t be?

When Your mom watched You working

Did she ever marvel at what she was seeing?

Did she always shake her head in wonder

Whenever she saw You making

Something beautiful out of the ugly

While getting the dust and grime on Yourself

That You’d just dust off with a nonchalant grin?

Did other carpenters ever want to imitate You?

Did they envy Your skill?

Or the wisdom which embodied You?

Did they see Your face shine with joy

Even at the slightest chore?

Did they ever wonder why You never complained

And always seemed to build some more?

And did those same people who worked with You

See You as You treaded that long, dusty road?

Did they hear the pounding and hammering

Inside the frame that was losing all strength it showed?

How did they feel as they saw Your face splintered…

As You lugged that last piece of timber?

How did they feel as they saw You falter and fall

Knowing they rarely ever saw that, if at all?

Did they remember how You worked with spikes

The same ones that now hold Your hands?

Did they remember how You used to have no trouble

Carrying even the heaviest of the rubble?

Did they ever wonder

And shake their heads at the irony

That the Carpenter is now part

Of that which He used to work with daily?

Is it an accident

Or did You already intend it:

That everyday of Your life

You could run Your hands through timber

And run Your fingers over spikes

As You work and build

Work and build

Looking forward to the day

When You would be building

Your masterpiece

And in that masterpiece

You continued to build

You continue to build

You’ve always been a Builder, haven’t You?

Enjoying the work of Your hands

Knowing that each stroke is perfect

And each cut is just as You want it

If each stroke with You is perfect

Then each blow on Your back had its reason

If each cut is just as You want it

Then each lash against Your flesh accomplished something

Something only You know

Something You want me to know…

Is that how You feel about me, too?

Even when I feel so weak and frail?

If you as a Carpenter could be so proud

Are You as proud of me as well?

And as the master Builder

Here You stand

Satisfied

Knowing that

The Bride You’re making

The beloved one You’re forming

Is exactly how You want her

Is exactly how You’ve meant her to be

And as You stand back

I see the joy in Your face

I see the pride in Your contenance

As You stand back

I see Your smile:

You stand satisfied

It is finished.

Love Gives All

This week, the Lord brought my attention to the first commandment... and showed me that it was a description of the way He loves. It amazed me that He described it as "with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul, all your strength." Could it not have been only "love," period?

And He told me something every interesting: Human love is already very much tinted. We tend to compartmentalize things, like we can “feel” in love with someone but not give much of our time, or not much of an effort. But with God, it’s one whole package. When He says He loves us, He loves us with every beat of His heart, with every fiber of His being, with all that He is!

This is why the teaching that “God is love, but He is also holy,” has some danger in it—it makes us think of God as having many different personalities, when in fact, it is all One. He is holy, there is none like Him, because of who He is, and He is Love. Even His wrath is an expression of His love, as He destroys everything that hinders love.

Can you imagine? This is the picture offered by theLord’s Supper. Jesus is saying to you, “I give you all of Me. Nothing more, nothing less.”

When He says He will show you His love, you will never find the end of it because He is going to be showing you more and more of Himself!

In essence, He is saying, “It won’t be love if I didn’t give you My all.” 

Thank You, Jesus... :) 

Control-Alt-Delete...

I went to bed last night feeling stressed about everything----pulled in all directions, annoyed at other people, frustrated with myself. And the Lord gave me a funny dream: I was with my family, and an aunt, who was well known for chewing people out, was scolding my sister-in-law for something she did that my aunt didn't approve of. Instead of staying silent like I would've done in real life, I spoke up to her, but not disrespectfully: I went up to her a bit after the incident and asked her, "Auntie, do you want me to tell you why you got so angry?" 

She laughed at me and teased, "Oh, so you're a mind-reader now?" 

I was afraid she would turn on me, but for some reason, I was also confident that what I had to say had to be said. 

I went on to explain that whatever my sister-in-law did bugged her because she wanted to know everything before it happened; my aunt needed to know everything was in control, in her control. And it annoyed her to know she wasn't in control. 

In my dream, my aunt was amazed at my insight, and then she left. But I was left mulling, thinking I could've said something more, that she did not always have to be in control, as there was One who was taking care of things, who cared for her enough to be the One whom she could trust to be in control. 

And for some strange reason, in my dream, I realized I was talking to myself! I didn't have to be in control all the time; I'd read worldly books that commended risk-takers who reduced the risk by gaining control, and all that, but my case was different: I didn't have to be in control because Jesus, who loved me more that life, was in control. 

And I'm safe in His hands. :) 

He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also give us all things (Romans 8:32)?