Suddenly, I was exposed to professionals who were showing me many of the intricacies that accompany carpentry.
There was that moment in my life when I realized Jesus Christ was now my Savior; I had invited Him into my life and I declared to Him that I wanted to serve Him. I owned a Bible and I believed that I knew it, and wanted to follow its teachings for the remainder of my life. What I did not know at that moment was how little I really knew, and how many bumps I would be taking the rest of my life. Nor did it occur to me that those “bumps” would come often as I dealt with focusing on what God said, and how often that “old nature” would surface and become a hindrance in my walk with the Lord.
Ephesians 2:10 reads: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we might walk in them.” When I began working in a Carpentry Workshop, I felt that I knew quite a bit about wood working. Suddenly, I was exposed to professionals who were showing me many of the intricacies that accompany carpentry. I realized how little I knew as we built windows, doors, a boat, cabinets, lathe work, you name it. I was learning the art of listening and watching. Fortunately, these pros insisted that I also do what they were doing. I was often told, at 13 years of age, “You are not here for your good looks”.
God saved this old sinner, and immediately began teaching me what His “workmanship” was all about. He was taking me from a tree to a piece of furniture, (whatever) through his work in a very methodical manner to be used of Him in a way that I never could imagine. It reminded me of the penitent coming to the altar and the pastor hearing him pray: “Lord! Do a good job this time!” I refuse to get into an argument about his doctrine, only to mention that his hunger was for a complete turn- around in his life.
When God touches and transforms us into useful objects in His plan for us, we must never think of what I can do for Him; it is more in keeping of what God can do in transforming a sinner through the New Birth, making him a saint, developing him into a useful servant that He has planned for him in eternity past.
I recall how I would look at carpentry that had been performed and wonder who had made it. Much of it I could identify. Other items were so beautiful that I could also identify them, but because of the professionalism. May people be able to identify of the workmanship that only one conclusion can be reached –JESUS CHRIST!
ETCetera 