God's Chisel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyOIBnExlrw

     Please watch this video. This is exactly what I am trying to share with you, this is just a video version of it. I don't make videos, I'm not that talented, but I do write. I use my words, these guys use ... a camera. (And a hammer.)
     I guess what I'm trying to tell you is, that in this video you can actually see how God (theoretically) chisels away all those hard pieces that we don't need. You can visualize Him breaking off the strongholds in your life. You can just imagine Him rat-tat-tapping away the asphalt that has bound you to the road of heartache. Watch the video. Watch it; intently. Yes, it hurts. I know; I've been chiselled on all my life. Haven't you? Sure ya have! It's how we all become His little gems.
     Let's talk about the pain involved. Yes, pain. I hate to hurt and I hate change. I do not adapt to either one very well. In fact, I don't adapt at all. I go kicking and screaming every step of the way, and that only makes it hurt more. You know what I've found? I've found that sometimes, I held on to those boulders that bound my spirit because they gave me comfort. I know it doesn't sound sensible but the fact is-they had been with me for so long, that they were all that I knew. They were mine-a part of me. It's as if they were a part of who I was on the inside; and really, I guess they were. They defined me. Oh! How I was imprisoned! Some of those rocks, those heavy and dirty mounds of coal that had confined me, had become so much a part of my soul that I was left bleeding and torn when they finally fell. Don't get me wrong, Jesus did not leave me in that state. Oh no. He gently carried me to a river where I was nursed by its healing waters. He really did walk with me through the valley. He really did.
     Diamonds do not come out of the ground adorned with store-front brilliance. Their transformation begins as soon as they are taken from the belly of the earth; chipping, chiseling, scraping, drilling, and sanding; man that stuff hurts! So many things in this life, hurt. Take childbirth for instance. Pregnancy is no cakewalk. Then you have to give birth to the baby. Huh? But that hurts!!! Yes, my dear, it does; but look at what a beautiful reward you are blessed with when all the hard stuff is overwith. Look at your reward! A baby. A brand new life, a brand new little being. Oh nothing is more precious. Now look at all the work that it took to get that baby into this world. See where I'm going?
     I confess, I am one of those people that almost always looks at the pain that will be involved, and cringes. It is not easy to keep your eyes on the prize before you. (The Holy Bible, 1 Corinthians 9:24) It is not easy to keep a positive attitude and simply remain thankful for the end  product. It doesn't work that way. There has to be growth. True growth comes when you can look at a situation, know it's going to hurt, and take a deep breath and walk forward. You must go through the "going through" process. Picture a caterpillar that hides away in its chrysallis. It's not exactly just going to pop open and voila! A beautiful butterfly. No, no my dear. There is struggle involved. There is emotional torment sometimes. There is physical pain sometimes. There is unrelenting fear sometimes. But there is always growth. And, if He is your Savior, He will never leave you or forsake you through any of it. (The Holy Bible, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Hebrew)