From Pastor Lee
August 1, 2022
Starting off Right With God
It sounded like a rifle going off as everyone in the building could hear it above the humming noises of the machines. The one who heard it best was the guy operating the straightening machine in which a piece of steel had broken when he had tried to straighten it. By now he is up and pacing the floor, smoking a cigarette to calm his nerves. It always seemed to rattle his nerves when it happened, but then again it would have rattled anyone’s nerves who happen to be sitting that close to a piece of hardened steel that breaks, sending pieces of it flying in different directions. As he smoked and paced, he would give me a look as if he wanted to say something not so nice. I would always apologize and try to explain how I had tested it before running the steel through the heating process. In fact, I always tested it more than once by cutting at least two samples, sometimes more, to check the depth of the hardness to make sure that it was within what the specifications had called for. I also kept a log of what settings had been used in the past for the same type and size of steel. However, other factors such as humidity and outdoor temperature always seemed to affect the hardening process in ways that made it somewhat unpredictable sometimes. It was my job not only to heat the metals, but to check their depth of hardness before they were straightened and grinded down to the correct size. That was my job at Beaver Precision Products where I was employed until I answered the call to become a pastor back in 1987. One of the things I learned in performing that job was that you never wanted to harden a piece of steel all the way through because then it would not bend, but only break, and break very loudly, sending pieces of steel flying through the air. Of course, the straightening machine had a cage to catch the flying pieces, but there was nothing to warn a person of what was about to happen if the metal was hardened too deep.
It reminds me of how one might start off on the right foot with God. However, if we are not attentive to our relationship with God, we might one day discover that over a long period of time we have drifted away from God. As we drift away, it is highly likely that our hearts have grown cold and hard, maybe so hard that they are no longer able to be penetrated by God’s love. Maybe the only way to get through to us at that point is through a broken heart, which could mean pieces flying everywhere as our world is shattered. Thus, bringing us to where we can see and acknowledge our dependence and need for God’s love, healing, mercy, and grace. What is the condition of your life, your spiritual self, your heart? It’s important to our spiritual wellness that we intentionally attend to our relationship with God through continual prayer, daily scripture reading and by staying connected to other believers by being a part of corporate worship and small study groups. Our psychological and emotional needs are met through relationships with others, but only Jesus can provide for our spiritual needs and keep our hearts from gradually growing cold and hard.
Lee
