The Chisel Doesn't Choose by Phil

One of the simplest and most useful tools in the woodshop is the chisel. Although chisels are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, they are basically a sharpened piece of metal with a handle attached. They can be used to carve intricate designs, precisely fine-tune a complex joint or remove a ribbon of wood so thin you can almost see through it. Chisels are also great for the unglamorous task of scraping excess dried glue off a project. The chisel doesn't choose whether it will be used for something majestic or mundane, it just does what it's designed to do to let the woodworker bring his vision to life. If I can use a bit of imagination here, the chisel's great joy is not about the finished product but of being useful to the master.

When the pandemic effectively stopped our traveling ministry in 2020, it was a very confusing time. We had been doing what God had called us to do for years and now the door was not just closed, it was slammed shut. When the opportunity arose for me to step in as interim worship coordinator at our church, it appeared God had a new direction for me. I remember at the very beginning of my time there, a young woman asked why I wanted the job. I think she saw me as an "entertainer" and wondered why I wanted to serve in ministry in a local church. To be honest, as much as I love music, I have never had dreams and aspirations of directing a choir or conducting an orchestra. As a songwriter, I've always preferred to share my own creations, not sing someone else's tunes. And as anyone who has worked in a church can attest, often more of your time is spent keeping people happy than worshiping God. I'm not sure how I answered her question at the time, but looking back I can say I didn't "want" the job. My desire has always been to be useful to God. I can't say I've always gone along with His plan gracefully without a bit of grumbling and complaining, but the older I get the more I realize it is much easier to do it His way. The finished product is not nearly as important as being useful to the Master. Some days you work on the masterpiece and some days you scrape glue. As long as you are in His hands, it's all good!

I don't know where the Lord has you this season of your life. Maybe you feel great satisfaction of being in the center of God's work. Maybe you feel like you are spinning your wheels, and you are frustrated with the lack of visible progress. Either way, our responsibility is not the result, it is the obedience of daily surrendering to the Father's will, no matter what or where that might take us. Remember the chisel. Our greatest joy is not found in the finished product, but in being useful to the Master.

If serving God is your desire, you can experience true peace and contentment. As the familiar insurance commercial says, "You're in good hands!"
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Honored to be useful,
Phil and Pam

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