Rocks can often be found in my pockets when we're out enjoying nature. One will catch my eye and I'm drawn to pick it up and examine it. I especially enjoy river rocks. I love to rub my fingers across their silky smoothness. They don't begin that way though. Over time, ordinary rough stones are polished smooth by a combination of abrasion and water.
Geologist and other rock enthusiasts will use a rock tumbler to mimic the natural polishing effect of oceans, rivers and streams. They place plain rocks, water and grit in the machine and end up with something beautiful.
The elements of both liquid and friction are necessary to achieve the desired results. Coarse sand alone may rub away some imperfections, but the intense scraping will also scar and crack the stone. The addition of water allows just the right amount of abrasion to reveal the stone's burnished splendor.
Do you know someone who just rubs you the wrong way? Like sand, their personality is a constant irritant. God often brings sandpaper people into our lives as an opportunity to smooth away our own imperfections. They can be found anywhere—at school, in church, on the job and even in our family.
If we respond to their abrasiveness in our own strength, harmful levels of friction arise hurting one or both of us. But if we invite Living Water to cover the interaction, something special happens. God uses them to help turn our ordinary into something beautiful.
Message for the Journey:
When faced with exasperating people who rub us the wrong way, we always have a choice in how we respond. Our natural choice is to react with irritation, but that option only leads to destruction. The better choice is to pray, asking God to join the interaction. Through his strength we grant them the same grace He has extended us.
©AnnWilds2011
Beautifully said, Ann.
ReplyDeleteSuch a good analogy! We just had a similar conversation at the dinner table recently. One of the boys was struggling with a friend who is particularly abrasive. He called him "sandpaper" and said, "He's probably polished a lot of people!" "Maybe that's his purpose," I said. "Well, I wouldn't want that to be mine!"
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this is a hard, but important lesson. Well said, my friend.