People

Hello All! Welcome back for 2010 and I hope you all had wonderful Christmases! We had a truly blessed time, and I am so excited for what God has in store for 2010...

Now, onto the regular business:

Many of us are familiar with the oft quoted Proverb, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another," and it is the basis for my writing today (it's Proverbs 27:17).

I've been thinking about this and its application in various areas of my life. A wise mentor shared the idea that this "sharpening" process is the specific purpose of marriage. This was a new idea for me in some ways. I tend to apply this verse more to those people in my world who are difficult or challenging to deal with... and to friends who help keep me accountable. But the suggestion was that marriage itself serves this purpose. Yes, our spouses can be (and hopefully are!) important people in the accountability of our lives, but the situations that come up in marriage and other intimate relationships really do fit perfectly with the idea of a metal being honed.

Sometimes, those to whom I am closest are the ones who rub up against me in the ways that I find most bothersome...and by "bothersome," I mean frustrating. :)

The image in my head is that of a metal smith carefully crafting the iron in His hands; He selects the right tools to do the job, and the right times to apply fire and heat. And then He creates and molds. So, the idea that those who love me best and know me in intimate ways are also those who the Artist chooses to press into me, to use to sharpen me, makes sense.

For me, this is a helpful way to think about challenging situations that arise in these close relationships - marriage and others that are deeply intimate: they're the hands of the Maker, honing His beloved art.