Just so you know my friends .. my gift in the Lord is encouragement and exhortation which means ... when "I" learn something everybody "gets" to hear it. :(Sorry) But once I write it it goes deeper in me and writing it keeps me accountable to you who have read it.
Another example of from trash to treasure ...
When you see a peach seed what do you see? I see garbage but my honey because of his uncle Milt sees .. "peach seed monkeys" and other wondrous things. Milt passed down a family secret .. How through patience a man can take a pocket knife and a peach pit and transform it into a darling little monkey sucking his tail. Gary is one of the most patient people in the world and when he wants to learn a new talent he develops patient endurance until he has it figured out. Gary has carved these little guys all his life. He has also been given an eye to see there can also be a little squirrel and a darling piggy in the same peach pit. He has even taken a apricot seed and made a basket. And just tonight we remembered in 1978 he carved "the praying hands" out of a peach pit. He gave the only one he ever carved to a former Pastor .. Jim Edmunds at his graduation from bible college. So Jim if you ever happen to read this dear old friend ... you have a one in the world. I asked Gary tonight to carve a second for our family. I just bet I get to see one soon. :)
Pictured here are some of the "peach pits and an apricot pit" that have been "transformed" by my very patient carver husband. I think the objects of beauty that come from his hands ... remind me of the work our Heavenly Father ... is also doing in our lives ... We are His kids and are ... in His time being ... "carved" by the circumstances of our lives ... into the likeness of His Son. Our "job" or part is ... to be like the pits in Gary's hand ... " just to be still and know" ... know what? That all the pain of the Master Carvers knife is necessary and though we can't see or understand what we are becoming.... when Father is done with His work ... we are going to be knock outs! We will be in the likeness or image of Christ. All heaven is watching what He is doing with the sons of men.
He is with us and He will be exalted in all the earth. Ps 46
Maybe just maybe the lesson I learned from Gary's peach pit monkey's will be a visual to you too. Be still in the hand of the Master Carver ... He is doing a work in us and when He is finished we are going to shine like gold in the Image of His Son.
great post!
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