Monday, July 7, 2014

The Quarry

 
 
 
She has her rain boots on and is valiently galloping over every surface of the upstairs floor with her turquoise and pink horse.

It looks a bomb, fueled with flour and shredded carrots, exploded in the kitchen, coating the layers of clean and dirty dishes waiting to find their true homes.

The twins are sitting at the table, singing off-key and at the top of their little, yet powerful, lungs while slurping up the leftover milk in their cereal bowls.

The little seven pound fluff-ball is hiding under the dirty sheets piled high in the hallway awaiting the washer.

And, all I can hear replaying over and over in my head is Francesca Battistelli singing about all the stuff that drives her crazy, and gets under her skin.

 
Yes, I agree, it might not be the stuff I'd choose, but this is the stuff He uses. 

This is the crazy He uses to conquer my frustration. 

This is the chaos He uses to break up my impatience. 

"And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built."
1 Kings 6:7

Could this be the quarry?

Yes, I believe this is the messy chaos where He is lovingly reshaping me into the perfect whole stone.  Teaching me shalem.  Teaching me how to give Him my whole-hearted devotion.  Transforming my sliced-in-pieces heart into an uncut heart.

That is what those uncut stones of Solomon's grand building for the LORD represent; a perfect, uncut heart.

And I softly smile and my insides warm at just the thought of all those surrendered, cut hearts being renewed to whole.  And then, as if the renewal wasn't quite enough, He is gently and precisely placing each heart together in perfect harmony to build His church. 

And He chose me, this rough and unpolished, stubborn girl, and loves me enough to hammer and chisel, hurt and heal.

In Francesca's words, "In the middle of all this mess, I do forget how big I'm blessed."

So, please Lord Jesus, chisel away while she gallops, and they sing (shout), and the dog hides.

This beautiful, chaotic, frustrating mess is transforming my heart, and drawing me closer to You.