“A violin-maker in the old days always chose the wood for his violins from the north side of the trees; it was the side upon which the wind and the storms had beaten. So he said when he heard the groaning of the trees in the forest at night he didn’t feel sorry for them, for they were just learning to be violins.”
–Unknown
Some times I need a reminder like this — that the challenges and obstacles I face help me to grow, they help me to become a better disciple and child of God. As I spent some time noodling the violin-maker this morning, my mind went to the world I know–sports. When I hear athletes talk about their drive to be a success athlete, it is more times than not that athletics provided a way for them to overcome something in their life, like a tragedy, or a abusive home, neglect, or a bad neighborhood. Like the trees, they had something that beat against them. Athletics allowed a way for them to take out their groaning.
For each of us the struggles are unique. The challenges are unique. My challenge may not be yours. It is my choice whether to muddle through the challenges or to use the challenges as stepping stones to something greater. My “groanings” should be my learning, like the violin-maker hears.
The context is slightly different, but this verse came to mind this morning during my wonder –
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17, NIV
WOW! So I took a few minutes on Google to look up that verse and came across someone’s (anonymous) very interesting reflection on THOSE words –
“Iron does not sharpen iron; and this is the point of the proverb. In the sharpening of iron with iron, both change — the sharpener and the sharpenee, if you will.”
More to noodle. What I like about “wondering” is that for me often the thing that starts me wondering isn’t what God wants to reveal to me. It is often the catalyst to get me where God really wants me. And so I shall chew on those words from Proverbs throughout the day I think.
His Word tells me I will face obstacles. I will be persecuted as a child of God. I will face the storms and be beaten, as the trees are that the violin-maker seeks. May the end result be that I learn and that I share what I learn, what I wonder, what God uniquely shares with me. And that you share with me. Challenge me. Iron sharpening iron. Working to help each other as children of God.
“In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
– Ephesians 2:21-22, NIV