Stretching and Molding
This past week, I was asked to decorate the classrooms at Hixson United Methodist Church. Among the busyness of the past week, I was grateful for a moment to breathe as I hung posters. A few pictures were already on the walls, but overall, there was nothing to look at. Nothing that made the room come alive.
We have a brand new children’s ministry building. Wanting to be good stewards of what we have, we didn’t want to use any tacks, nails, or any other object that would damage the walls. However, painter’s tape wasn’t quite strong enough for these beautiful, large posters. So we used poster putty. If you haven’t used this before, you take a small piece and warm it up by stretching it out before you attach it to the poster.
I started to listen to worship music, and got started with hanging the posters.
The kid in me was delighted with the putty. How fun! I'm so easily entertained. The more posters I did, and the warmer the putty got, I was having a harder time breaking the putty into individual pieces to put on the poster. One stretched so long that my arms were fully open wide! I began to pull a second time, and much to my dismay, it did the same thing, again.
I thought, “Come on! I'm trying to get these done and I'm tired today. Can't this go any faster?”
In my hurriedness to finish the project set before me, the Father gently prompted me.
"How many times have you been so eager to stop being stretched by Me? Don't you see that's what I'm doing with you, right now, daughter? I'm stretching you. I'm molding you. Much like you're hanging these posters, I'm using you to breathe life into new places. Will you let Me?"
Will I let Him?
As I completed each room, I was stunned by how the posters changed the atmospheres. The rooms turned from dark and dingy to exciting and vibrant.
Sometimes it seems easier to follow my own selfish agenda, but there is such blessing He gives when we're willing to throw away a little bit of our desires to let Him shine through. I am grateful that He is the ultimate Potter! Shaping, molding, and stretching us according to His design.
Between the Shadow and the Soul: Blogging through the journey.