The Blacksmith's Blow

"A piece of iron can only become what the blacksmith decides it to be." Nigeria

I cannot begin to count the number of times I felt the blows of the blacksmith's hammer as He has tried to shape this twisted piece of iron into a useful tool of service. Each time the steel grows cold I am thrust back into the furnace of affliction as the hot coals purge the impurities and dross from the metal of a man I am becoming.

How foolish to resist the blacksmith's hand - to war against the purpose the master craftsman has designed. Each edge is sharpened by the hammer's blows and every imperfection is tried time and again in the fire.

I am left with a choice: to remain brittle and unpliable forcing the blacksmith to cast me aside in a pile of scrap iron; or to allow Him to mold me and shape me into a purposeful instrument, a sharpened sword, or plow. Only the blacksmith knows what this shapeless piece of iron is destined to become.

"You cannot hide the smoke of the hut you set on fire." (Burundi Proverb).

For the next series of blogs, I plan to center my thoughts on some African Proverbs I have been introduced to. While I was in Namibia this last year some of the locals used figures of speech and idioms that often made me smile. Upon returning to the states, one of our board members used a series of African Proverbs to lead our devotional at the August board meeting. Now it is my turn to share a few with you.

You cannot hide the smoke of the hut you set on fire, or in Biblical terms - "be sure your sins will find you out." I was recently reminded of just how transparent our lives really are when we stop long enough to take inventory. I was recently doing a little "sluething" on the internet and was shocked by some of the things that people allow to be posted online. Some people don't care, others simply don't stop to consider the consequences of their conduct.

Regardless of how carefully we try to cover our tracks - eventually someone will see the smoke from our burning hut. I can only imagine how King David felt when the prophet told him the story of ewe lamb. Outraged and indignant it must have been quite humbling when Nathan said, "You are that man."

When your weary . . .

I try not to make important decisions when I am weary! I have found that things are rarely as bad as they seem when you are over-tired and worn down, and things are rarely as great as they appear when you are on an emotional high.

I doesn't really matter what the circumstances are - it always better to ACT with a clear head. There are few decisions in life that require immediate attention (despite what a client, child or even the IRS might tell you). We often speak of time as our enemy, but time can be a great allie when used effectively.

One of the things I love about traveling to Africa is the pace of life. Everything seems to slow down. This irritates a lot of my American friends when I take them over, but I encourage them, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." When you want to eat - food has to be prepared (from scratch). Fish have to be cleaned, eggs have to be gathered, bread has to be baked - so you learn to wait.

Today I am tired. Not sleepy, tired. I have a lot to get done this week, but I also realize my most effective work will not be accomplished just because I sit down at a computer and begin putting words on a page. So rather than produce a sub-par product, today I will organize my work load for the week, outline the articles for the newsletter and prepare myself for a period of peak efficiency later today.

Every day brings us a different challenge to address. Learning how to manage our bodies, our moods and our responsibilities will help us achieve a higher standard of productivity.

Legacy

On Sunday we started a series at church on Legacy. What is it we hope to leave behind? At times I struggle with pursuing the trappings of a successful life and miss the real substance of what it means to "leave a legacy." I may shout and rage against the machine, materialism and injustice in this world, but the truth is I like my creature comforts and parting with them is often harder than talking about parting with them.

I was reminded this morning just how important those daily acts and teachable moments are in our lives. I was scanning my children's facebook pages when I ran across a thread on my son's page. The conversation went something like this:

Gina: "What was that quote you said your dad was always telling you? You can't always have what you want, but you can always do what is right?"

Tristan: My dad used to say, "I can't always feel the way I am supposed to feel, but I can always act the way I am supposed to act."

So I sit here this morning with a little pride, a little self-satisfaction, but mostly with a strong reminder that our children are listening. It may not all sink in! It may take decades for some of it to bubble to the top, but they are learning something from us. They will learn from our negative behaviors and our positive examples, but any way you look at it - we are leaving a legacy.

I get down on myself a lot in areas I feel I have failed as a parent, a husband and a friend to others, but little moments like the one I experienced this morning remind me that someone is always watching and someone is always listening.

So, what is your legacy going to?