Brittle Glass

I love glass that cuts easily! It's just so nice to hear the satisfying screech of the cutter on the glass, see the cracking glass under the score before I even apply pressure, and to feel the glass give way exactly on the score. Ahh......

Sometimes the glass is more of a challenge, and I have to get out my specialty pliers that apply even pressure on both top and bottom of the glass. Crack! The glass can still bring the satisfaction of a perfect break. Sometimes, I have to get my flat pliers (with no ridges to mar the glass) and my spring-loaded pliers, and use both of them to pry the glass apart.

And then there's the brittle glass.

There is some glass that breaks wrong almost every time. It is often of inconsistent texture and/or quality. It's sometimes incredibly thick for stained glass use. It breaks irregularly and with difficulty... And, of course, it's some of the most beautiful glass around.

I love how brittle glass looks, but shaping it into what I need for an art piece is difficult, sometimes impossible. I wonder how many of us are like that to God? We might look good; we might even look like good Christians, but are we amenable to God's shaping? 

I would love to say that I'm one of the obedient glass types that is easy to cut, but if I'm honest, it's taken a lifetime of chiseling away at my rough edges to make me even slightly similar to God's plan for me. 

In the past few years, I have discovered one prayer that has opened my life to God's changes. I now frequently ask God to change what I want instead of asking God to change my circumstances. I find myself changing in ways that surprise me. I hope the changes please God, and I will continue to pray that God shapes my desires in ways that delight Him.

"Become One"