Sandpaper

In my spare time (whatever that is…), I like to build things out of wood. I wouldn’t consider myself a woodworker, and even “enthusiast” gives me too much credit… but I enjoy building things… Without exception, since I was a little girl, every single time I pick up a piece of sandpaper and begin sanding wood, I think of how God uses the rough things in our life to refine us and shape us to what He needs us to be.

In the process of sanding wood, we start with coarse grit… the roughest… if you’ve ever sanded anything with course sandpaper, like 60 grit, you know that it takes a lot of material off at once… and hurts the most if you accidentally sand your hand, particularly if you’re using a palm sander or belt sander. As you work on your project, the grit of the sandpaper increases and it’s roughness decreases, and the wood gets smoother and smoother. After 60 grit, we may use 100 or 120, followed by 150, then perhaps a 220. The size of the grains of sand on the paper determine the grit number. I’ve seen sandpaper as fine as 600 though, in truth I’ve never used it. I usually top out at 220, depending on the project, where it’s smooth enough for my use.

This is how it works with God… He takes the rough things that happen in our lives and uses them to continue to refine us and smooth us…

Whether your sandpaper is a relationship with conflict, a health issue, a financial issue, God can use those things to shape and mold us. It may be unpleasant, even downright painful… but trust the process. He makes all things beautiful in His time.

Be blessed today, my friends, even if what you’re going through is the sandpaper of life. Trust that the Sculptor is making you beautiful for His purpose.

Be blessed,

SB