Block of Wood

Soren quietly stepped onto the back porch where his grandpa was enjoying the sunshine. He watched as Grandpa began to shape the mustache of the wooden cowboy in his hands with his favorite knife."Carving again, Grandpa?" Soren asked.Grandpa looked up and smiled. "Good to see you, Soren. Have a seat and tell me about your day."Soren frowned and plopped down in a brown folding chair. "School was okay, I guess. Math is weird. I can't figure out this geometry stuff Mrs. Thompkins is trying to teach us. She keeps trying to explain it, but it's hard to pay attention, since I get kind of distracted sometimes.""Thinking about the treatments your mom is going through?" asked Grandpa.Soren nodded. "And Jasper told me today that he's moving because his dad got a new job. We won't be able to play together anymore. He'll be living too far away." Soren put his chin in his hands and frowned. "It seems like everything is going wrong all at once."Grandpa slowly scratched his chin and looked at the wooden figure in his hand. "Soren, when I decide to carve something, what do I start with?""A block of wood," Soren replied. "Right. I have to cut it, sand it, and carve it to make it a cowboy, or a bird, or whatever else I want it to be." Grandpa blew tiny flakes of wood off the cowboy's face. "That's what God is doing with you, buddy. Just like I work hard carving details on a figure to make it look just right, God is shaping you into the person He wants you to be, and He even uses the difficulties you face in life to do that. I know you're going through some tough times, but He can use them to teach you about patience and trust and other things that will help you grow in your relationship with Jesus. He loves you and promises to be with you all through your life--even in difficult times." Grandpa etched a couple more lines into the cowboy's mustache, then handed it to Soren. "Finished. He's all yours."Soren slowly ran his fingers across the cowboy's delicate wooden face and smiled.-Mike Dize