I have been finding out more and more about myself and how I am not perfect! There are days that stack up and create a lull in my daily time with the Lord. There are times where I am stuck in sin and just don’t want to give it up unless it is on my own terms and in my own strength. Sin so easily finds me and waits for me to be lazy and self-indulgent.
A story that I love, about our time in Nepal, is one that has taught me a lot about how God cleans up our old selves and makes us new.
Within our third week of being here Bekah, Leah and I were making our way down the road where our apartment sits. As we were walking down the stone street I glanced into a store front and saw a stunning green stoned ring, I always tend to shop as I go :). Though we were headed to help friends pack their house up to move, we decided to stop and see what else this jeweler had in his shop. The case facing the road, in which all his stuff was displayed, was dusty and his merchandise was thrown around in no particular order. When you enter into his small shop all he has is a wooden bench with a red pillow top to sit. He has nothing on display in the glass cases, which take up two walls, other than dirt, and dust, and cockroach droppings.
Once we sat down with this overfriendly Nepali man we got suckered into staying, chatting, drinking tea, and looking at all his handcrafted jewelry. Leah was in love with the original ring that drew us into his store. She wanted it but the ring was dirty, too big and tarnished; so we asked if he could make a brand new one to look just like it with the same stone. The man insisted that she could buy that ring and he would fix it for her right there in the store while we were sitting on his bench. Doubtful that he could bring this ring to fit perfectly on Leah’s ring finger, as well as look good, we asked how much it would cost.
When we decided the ring made pretty again would be worth the price, the jeweler named, he immediately began to work. Within minutes of sitting there the ring was made new. He cut and fired the ring to be smaller and ran the blemished silver through a humble wheel that gave back its luster.
After about fifteen minutes of recreating the ring that sat on display, unclean, the ring was made beautiful far further than our expectations! As soon as we saw how pretty it was and how perfectly it fit on her small hand, Bekah and I decided to each have a ring made to be similar to Leah’s. Not only that, but we have referred four people to that same little jewelry shop to check out his ornaments and get pieces made.
.jpg)
Mine, Leah's, Bekah's
So much can be learned from this story! My favorite thing, though, is how once Leah decided that she wanted the ring and the price was okay, even though it was not yet made beautiful, she trusted him and allowed him to carry on by fixing and fitting it to perfection. This parallels our heart that can be cleansed by Christ. We must count the cost (Luke 14:25-35) and then allow ourselves to full-heartedly commit to Him. Allowing Him take over and do the chiseling, the carving, the cleansing. No new heart is needed when the Lord is in control; just a dirty one that will soon be washed white as snow through the blood shed by Jesus.
In keeping with the theme of pieces of beauty… One of my favorite parables, to date, is the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl (Mt. 13:44-45)! Check it out:
44) The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.
When a man found it, he hid it again,
and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
When he found one of great value,
he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
In verse 44 it is seen that a man found a hidden treasure! In 45 it is seen that a merchant searches for fine pearls! Both sold what they had for the other. Truth is Christ is the merchant and he searches us out having already given everything up buying us at a price… It is our turn to be as the man, find the treasure and sell everything we have.
I love that the Lord is the one who searches out. I love that we don’t have to do anything but count the cost and decide to allow the Lord to do the work! I love that my old, dark, sinful heart can be made clean, pure, beautiful immediately- just as Leah’s ring was right before our eyes.
I have discovered a pearl of great price and it is worth everything I have.
-LauraLBrown
No comments:
Post a Comment