You teach me about Life, Lord, in the most unlikely places.
Your “higher education” can — and does — happen anywhere.
Tonight, it was in my kitchen. I had loaded our dishwasher after dinner and reached for the Cascade. The powdered kind.
The box was almost empty. Not enough for a load. But I had another box. I emptied the first and reached for the second.
It was an old box. One I had passed over before. More than once. Because the powder inside had hardened into three large balls.
It was useless in its present state.
How did it get that way? There was no flood. No leak under the sink. Just the slow, steady effect of Florida’s humidity.
Under the right (or wrong) conditions, it had hardened into a rock. Three rocks.
Three useless rocks.
Tonight, I needed more powder. So, after having ignored these rocks for countless days, I decided to do something.
My first “strategy” was to marshal what I thought would be overwhelming force. I beat the box against the counter… with gusto. To no avail. Maybe I needed more focused power.
I decided to pry open the box and remove the three “rocks.” I got out my rolling pin. I couldn’t believe it. The more I hit them, the harder they got.
That’s when it occurred to me, Lord. There was more going on here than merely “redeeming” my dishwasher powder. Like the old saying goes, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” So I turned to You and said, “What now, Lord?”
One little fork. And a lot of elbow grease.
I spent the next thirty minutes slowly and persistently rubbing the fork tines across those hard rocks. First one, then the next… and the next.
Whittling them down, grain-by-grain. Until all that was left was my very sore arm… and a pile of powder.
Powder that was useful again. Ready to do what it was made for.
How many people in the world, Lord, are just like this?
People hardened by Life? Put aside or left behind? Feeling (maybe even seen to be) useless? Good for nothing?
No one spending the time or effort to get past their hardened shell.
No one discovering what’s inside them. What they’re really made of. What they’re really made for.
Until something changes. Someone changes. Then everything changes. And someone who was worth less is worth more.
Priceless. Just like You always intended.
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
“In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purposes of His will, in order that we… might be for the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:11-2)
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you…” (Matthew 7:12)
Guess my dishes aren’t the only ones “coming clean” tonight. 🙂
So it goes in Kitchen Kollege. Klass dismissed!
Abba’s Girl