Hope Sculpting

There's been a lot of suffering in my life in recent years. I have NOT gone through it with much grace. In fact, I've complained, whined, and moaned most of the way. However over the last year, I have been feeling what I can only describe as "God's fingers" molding, sculpting, tearing away the pieces of my heart which don't fit into His final design.

Earlier this year, I stumbled upon this quote from a monk in the 17th century:

“We are a lump of clay and each stroke from the Potter we feel. Blow after blow descends upon us; we , the clay, do not understand how the Potter is shaping us or why He is chiseling and cutting away at us. Only the Master Potter knows that. It’s imperative, however, that we stay immovable and endure all the He sends us, because only He knows the perfect shape He is forming.Only He knows how to do it, we don’t. We feel that each blow is ruining us (killing and destroying us) but the Master Potter knows it’s the best thing for us.”

I can't explain it, but this past year I've felt His loving fingers molding the clay of my heart. I asked Him to give me more of Him, to prepare me for a life in ministry, and He took up the challenge. It's not easy to sit there and allow Him to grow patience, endurance, and my faith. Somehow, I can look back and say, "thank you Lord for growing me to be more like Christ." Weird by the world's standpoint, but beautiful in God's eyes. I've come to realize that I'm being wrecked by God and loving it!

As I reflected on these thoughts this morning, I asked God for an end to the dark time in my life. I am glad to have His hands molding and shaping me, but frankly, I'm ready for a time of light and blessing. The request didn't come from that place of desperation anymore. It didn't come from, "Oh Lord, please help me!" It came from a quiet, still place of adoration for my Lord and honestly seeking to move forward with my life. After my prayer, I went to my devotional which was in Romans 5:

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:3-5 NIV

Just then I knew that the last thing which He is shaping in my heart is an indescribable, undying, overwhelming sense of HOPE. I'm not there yet, however this morning, I felt a twinge of His fingers moving along the HOPE muscle in my very soul. I think my disappointment is only a cue it's time to check my HOPE levels. Hope is the antidote to disappointment, they cannot take up the same space.

The word HOPE (in the English) appears 174 times in the NIV translation. Here are just a few of the verses I found:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

I believe God has been shoring up my faith and hope so I am capable to be the minister of love and reconciliation to those He puts into my life now and will in the future. He is not only allowing me the joy of today, but the HOPE for a future deeply embedded in His Will. I choose to put all my hope and trust in the Potter who builds jars filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (see Galatians 5:22-23).
All I can say is, GOD IS GOOD!