Monday, July 12, 2010

A Work of Art

Many admire the beauty of glass, its colors sparkling with the sun’s light. Stepping stones decorate gardens, the glass embedded in the stones. Stained-glass windows in churches inspire awe and reverence.


Anyone who works with glass knows the process of creating these works of art. After deciding on a pattern, the craftsman scores and breaks the glass, leaving tiny splinters and sharp edges. After cutting the glass, the artist grinds its edges smooth. During grinding, powder-fine pieces of glass fly off. When the pieces are shaped and smoothed, the artist arranges them into a stepping stone or solders them together for a stained-glass window. After the final project is completed, its beauty is far greater than the original pieces of uncut glass. With hard work, the glass is transformed into a work of art, matching the image in the artist’s mind long before she broke that first piece.


There is a parallel between the artist cutting and grinding the glass and God forming us into His image, creating our unique stained-glass. Before God begins crafting us, He sees how the finished product will look—more beautiful than we can ever imagine. Just as the artist cuts and breaks the glass into the correct shapes, so God shapes us. Whenever our lives are filled with difficulties, this may be God’s hand at work in us. Once the pieces of our lives are cut into proper shapes, God grinds them smooth. Cutting and grinding may not be pleasant, but God, our designer and artist, will complete the work He has begun. The longer He works in our lives, the more we resemble His image. The more we yield to His touch, the more His light shines through us. Someday all the jagged edges of our lives will be smoothed by God’s touch; someday He will shape us into His perfect work of art, allowing His love to softly glow through the colors of our lives.
Father, thank you for the work you are creating in me. Even though cutting and grinding may be unpleasant, the end result is well worth it. Thank you for forming me into your image.

Hebrews 13: 21b “May he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

2 comments:

  1. That's great writing Mrs. Sturm! Keep it up!

    I'm working on a stained glass project right now, so next time I'm forming those pieces I'll have lots to think about! :-)

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  2. Thanks, Jessica!
    I'd love to see your project when you've finished! Isn't it amazing how ordinary tasks can help us focus on God?

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