Pastor's Blog

I See it Now

June 23, 2019

“I see it now”

My appreciation of glass and pottery has increased since spending time in studios dedicated to these respective crafts. Sometimes functionality overwhelms the beauty and we don’t consider the skill and workmanship required to produce a vessel that is so useful. Holding a glass bowl that is perfectly balanced and fired has a sensory appeal that few things can match. But understanding the multitude of steps required to arrive at this place of visual and artistic perfection brings a level of appreciation. 

When we began the process of transforming molten glass into controlled beauty we had to decide on a couple of things. What we we wanted to end up with – a vase, glass, bowl, etc, – and what color(s) we wanted. I chose blue and white glass chips to bring color to the masterpiece I had in mind. When these colored fragments warmed to the over 2,000 degrees of the glass, an interesting and concerning change happened- the chips turned bright orange. (To know me is to be certain that something sporting blue and orange wouldn’t be long for my house – Go Packers!) Our coach assured us the colors would show back up when the colors cooled and reached room temperature. And he was right, the true beauty of the bowl was only evident after the firing and cooling process.

We can take encouragement in this truth – the beauty and benefit of life’s trials will be evident when the difficulty has passed. Psalm 66:10-12 declares this reality with an interesting summary in verse 12. The Apostle Peter suggests that times of fire refine and improve our faith so that we will know what is most valuable (1 Peter 1:7). Don’t get caught thinking that the hard time you are going through is forever. Find surety in the reality that sometimes the greatest beauty is revealed only after the hardest trial. When you do this, you’ll never regret it.

Pastor Dave

Categorised in: