Sharpening

I do not often think that I, a small, smooshy woman, a girly-girl through and through, am anything like gold, or silver, or iron.  But God sees me otherwise. 

God tells me I will go through fire to be refined like gold.  I have certainly had fiery times in my life, and those hot days have, indeed, proven to be refining. 

He tells me I am more precious than silver.

What's more, he tells me I am sharp.  And I can be sharpened.  By His Word, yes.  And by His people.  Fellowship.  I can be sharpened by others as iron is sharpened by iron.  When I am sharpened, I am more what He made me to be.  I become deeper in my understanding of His will, His presence, and His design for my life. 

I spend so many days - literally whole weeks sometimes - without interaction with anyone outside my immediate family.  And I don't notice the gradual thickening of the air around me.  Then, when I have an opportunity to encourage and be encouraged, I take big deep breaths of cool, fresh air.

And I remember.

I am not made to be lonely.  I am made to both sharpen and be sharpened. 

My husband, with his big brain and loving arms does not allow me to breath air too thick, to be sheltered too long, to be unused or to go on unsharpened.  He knows.  And he also sharpens and needs sharpened.  We are not made to be alone for very long. 

God created us to be in communion with one another.   Isn't that a breath of fresh air?