Whether we are building individuals or shaping how they think or model our behavior, it is vital that we be intentional in what we do. Things do not happen by chance. Whether we intend to build or shape those around us or not, we do. Without even thinking. It could be through thoughtless words heard in a hallway or words that have succumb to fatigue and mediocre behavior, but regardless of the WHYS we fail to see the WHAT behind some of our very poorly thought out words. (What consequence?) It may be words of convenience or because it is easier to just say nothing but I think there were several instances this week that got me thinking. Maybe it was the gorgeous drive today to Meeker to Jody's basketball tournament. God tends to water my thoughts best and reveal himself to me on an amazing worship-filled drive. Either way, I was thinking about BUILDING and SHAPING today. As a therapist, I help others by shaping: either through soft tissue mobilization and getting the tissues moving or mobilizing or manipulating the joints to allow the patient to have unrestricted motion. SHAPING them in way back to the life they love. There's nothing about that that I take lightly. Would I have moved my family, sold my house, left my friends and awesome job, said goodbye to family for longer than I wanted if I didn't believe that there's something about what I do that can shape people back into better health and better life?!
Building individuals back probably got me more than the shaping. Because clay can be shaped and shaped and molded much like God does with us, building takes us to a new dimension about stacking and bulking and adding more. Building muscle, building strength and endurance. Building patience. Building stronger students, skiers, individuals, players, people. It does not matter what you do....YOU fill in the blank for how you build people. BUT again, building and shaping does not happen by accident. It also does not happen by intention either. It can happen when there's no effort or thought or action or goal toward it.
Take children. They are placed in environments throughout the world and watch what happens. Think home to home, school to school, classroom to classroom. There is a lot of building and shaping of lives that saddens me. Where there is no intention. NO thought, no effort toward building individuals out of those children who can stand on their own. Have a thought in their brain toward another person and not just Self. Where we teach them the difference between good, bad, right, wrong, and that the difference matters. On another scale, that God deserves our best. Not our last. Not our leftovers. And that if all the idols, and movie stars, musicians, speakers, mentors, teachers, and friends around us are building and shaping us then no wonder we have a problem. A problem of identity, a problem of WHO starts to shape our thoughts and how we weigh things in life. Heaven help us if our children are left to that. Jody always tells me (and I echo this prayer) that he prays that our children know how to stand on their own two feet even if they are standing alone. That they know the difference between right and wrong and what God wants and that they DO the right thing that they know to do. Even if they stand alone. That's a scary thought to be alone in this world for most people. But I pray that they have a God given confidence that when they stand with HIM that there is nothing and no one in the world that could compare to that. I pray they know this as I did growing up. I was an only child and knew the sweetness of being alone with God for a long time. Not in a sad way at all. A true sweetness. I'm comfortable in my skin. I'm okay with quite. I'm good with listening to Him. Be Still and know that He is God. I've also known it in lonliness that I care not to recap now. I have had the sweet presence of God keep me company and be my best friend for the longest time and in my biggest moments in life. There's one as I describe this that stands out to me. Maybe it's because my 10th wedding anniversary is next week. It was my wedding day. Circumstances were not perfect surrounding our wedding. It was still such a happy, wonderful, exciting time! Without giving too many details, after my parent's divorce it was awkward for a time. Dad gave his blessing to Jody and I. On that day I'm sad to say that my dad did not show to walk me down, but I had told him that either way I loved him and nothing would change that. There was not a lonliness that day at all. There was the sweetest presence of God that I have ever felt. There was a lone body walking down the aisle that day, but there was a heart full knowing that my Lord and Savior was walking me as He always had to the man I had prayed for for the longest time. In all my alone moments in life, God had heard my prayer, knew me better than I knew myself, answered me in a way that I had not even vocalized out loud to even Him. (That's when you KNOW that it is God alone!) There was a sweetness of knowing that God was always enough and NO person could even be perfect enough to give me what only God could.
Building and Shaping. Building character. Shaping integrity. Developing people. Raising our children. That's what we get to do. I pray my kids know to never be afraid of being alone. I pray that the softness I see in Reece would never be her fault but the very tenderness that God uses to speak to her. That the toughness in Cale will be an avenue for God to show him that he will always need a Savior who is stronger and mightier. So whether we are building blocks, linkin' log cabins, lego towers, building blanket forts, shaping a little's girl hair or piper cleaner craft, shaping clay or snow, building basketball skills, or shaping individuals around us, let us do it with drive and determination.
Closing thought:
After reading the above it still strikes me that some are still ignorant enough to think that they have shaped no one. Some have shaped many and are even tired of trying. Remember that it happens either way good or bad, intentional or not. We shape people. Are you worth following, modeling, listening to? How would your words sound coming out of another person's mouth? What effects would they have? Would they be bitter words or encouraging words or actions? Would you be in good shape or bad shape? How have you built others up this week? And if you're too tired to try maybe that's the point where Jesus has left you to ask, Are you done yet? Are you going to let me do it through you now? Let me shine.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Do not let the devil put out your light or back in a corner or underneath others around you. SHINE. You have a purpose. You have a way to build and shape those around you like no one else can.
Verses that Inspired this:
James 1:17
Matt 5:13
Matt 5:14
