The Master Carpenter

Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" So they were offended at him. Mark 6:3 WEB.

Wood, I grew up around it. My Dad was a carpenter for fifty-five years. I helped him at times, so there was a lot of carrying, sawing, nailing, and pulling splinters from my hands. Since then, I've always enjoyed building things. I find carpentry a valuable skill in our life every day, and I am thankful for the years that I spent working with him.

Dad always started the project by picking the right lumber. He was meticulous. Dad would go through the whole pile to find one piece that was straight. Then he would take that piece and cut it to the perfect size, fit it into place, nail it down, and then smooth the rough edges out with sandpaper. Sometimes He would use clamps and patiently bend the wood to create an arched doorway. It was a lot of work, but the end result would always be beautiful.

The Lord Jesus Christ worked as a carpenter, and He takes the rough and shapes it into something polished. He will search through thousands of people until He finds the right one. He will draw you to Himself (John 6:44) and cut away your past baggage (2 Corinthians 5:17). He will fit you into the body of Christ (Colossians 3:15) and nail you to your own cross (Galatians 5:24). Then He breaks out the sandpaper and goes after those rough edges. The first part of being drawn to Him is pleasant, but some of the rest aren't, especially the cutting, nailing, and sanding.

To accomplish this, He will often place people in our lives that help shape and smooth us. Of course, we hate those irritating people and would like to avoid friction and scraping. Yet, we can't see our own rough edges without them. It's natural to want to separate from the friction, but you will retain the roughness that God is trying to smooth out if you do that. And He may bring coarser sandpaper next time. You can and will get through this. When He is done, you're going to be a smooth work of art handcrafted by the Master Carpenter.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray that You give me the grace to endure the things I face. Help me love those around me and to be nice. Please set a guard over my mouth and help me represent You in a positive light. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

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