I walked by a Carpenter’s shop and saw him walking around his shop and running his hands through the different displays of furniture and fittings. It appeared to me that he loved his work.
He turned and walked towards the far left side of the room and gently picked up a big piece of unusual wood. It had different angles to it. He carefully placed it on top of a large piece of cloth on his work table and looked at it intently. He turned it almost at every angle and ran his fingers through every nook. The Joiner spoke to it and smiled as if to say there was something special about it. One could almost think it was gifted to him.
This piece of wood was difficult to define, lacking specific description and giving no idea to its potential use.
After a few more intent looks, the joiner began to chip at the wood. He blew debris and dust away from this peculiar item. I watched as he worked intensively, speaking to himself or perhaps the wood as carried on.
He looked to me as if he was guarding his work from prying eyes like mine and those belonging to passers-by. I couldn’t really decipher what he seemed to be carving. If the piece of wood looked strange earlier on, it was worse now as the joiner chipped away at it. All I could see was wood chipping flying everywhere. The Joiner protected the side he was working on so it was difficult to create a picture of what he was making.
I watched him for a long while as he carved this piece of wood, still unable to make out what he was creating and now polishing and shining.
Suddenly, he lifted it up with a smile on his face. He raised it high enough for me and the world around to see.
That item that lay useless, undefined, and obscure had become a beautiful piece of decoration fit for the grandest palace. An ornament crafted like none other with an incomparable and unique purpose.
Do you ever wonder if there’s something special about you? Or feel like you’ve lived in someone’s shadow for a long time. Have you tried to be everything at different times but having no specific identity? Do you sometimes feel like the wood in this story?
Would you allow the Carpenter to pick you up? Could you give him time to work on you? Would you allow him carve and shape you?
While he carves would you trust him as he speaks his love to you consistently? giving you his assurance with every strike of his chisel that he has a great plan for you? That you’ll turn out to be the best YOU!
What do you think? Share your carving experience?