The Father’s Business – Renewal

(Picture credits at end of post)

The Father’s Business – Renewal

And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49 – NKJV)

The Father and the Son are in the business of taking the cast-off or redundant areas of our lives and re-form them into something of uncommon beauty.

                Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16 – NASB)

…and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind… (Ephesians 4:23 – NASB)

Driftwood

(© September 2010 by Christopher Shennan)

(A poem of free verse)

Just a piece of driftwood; Yet I have seen these random cast-offs of Nature, chosen, re-designed – lovingly re-crafted into objects of beauty – displayed in prominent places and treasured by those still gifted with the capacity to discern beauty in unconventional things.

I have seen them, the cast-offs, rescued from the cruel sea, or the barren beaches – a bird about to fly; a cane re-carved into human likeness; a clock now mounted on a piece of driftwood well-varnished; a unique and unrepeatable treasure.

Just like these drifting pieces, thrown up on the beaches, I have also seen much human flotsam, cast off – ravaged by storms that life has viciously let loose – has cast upon those barren places that seem devoid of Love – undervalued members of the human race.

I have seen this human garbage re-shaped by Love, by instruments sent forth from Heaven’s Heart. These instruments – themselves once cast-offs, but now re-claimed, are fit to work a miracle by God’s own power. They see these rejects, and hold them to their heart, and see them placed once more into Heavens Treasure House, the place where only reclaimed objects of God’s Grace may dwell.

So when I see a piece of driftwood, worn and ravaged by the action of the sea, and cast upon forgotten shores, I remember from whence I came. I remember, too, that I am called, not to the grand designs within palace walls, but to the long-despised alley-ways of life where the dregs of humanity dwell.

Not to these alone am I called, but these are burned with searing iron upon my heart, a heart re-shaped by the Master’s hand. I cannot forget from whence I came, so memory drives me to look with longing upon the broken ones – to see the Master bring them back; to snatch them from the burning flames and bring them home – once again.

 Check out my books at My website: http://www.christophershennan.ca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CNShennan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherShennanAuthor

Driftwood sculpture by Heather Jansch. Photograph by Alison Cassidy. Copyright.

CC BY-SA 3.0  (note the disclaimer at this link.) No changes were made to this photograph.

The Promise of Renewal.

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…

It is the reality of human life that our powers diminish with age; the energy we had in our younger days fail us when we get older.

 

We have bursts of energy yet they grow shorter and shorter as time progresses. Things we used to do almost without effort before become difficult, until we finally cannot do them at all.

 

Even if it is not age that depletes our strength, the vicissitudes of life wear us down, and discouragement sets in. Life “happens” to us in varied degrees of intensity, and even if it is peppered with periods of tranquility and joy, we find ourselves lacking the exuberance and confidence we once had. Disillusionment takes the edge off of life and we wonder where all our zest for life went.

 

Chippie

 

The following is a true story from an unknown source concerning a parakeet named Chippie:

“One second he was peacefully perched in his cage singing the day away. The next he was sucked in, washed up, and blown over.

 

“The problems began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage – with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She’s barely said, ‘hallo’ when ‘ssssopp’ Chippie got sucked in. The vacuum made that high loud squeal, like it only does when no air can get to the fan.

 

“The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, looked over and her heart sank – no Chippie – she quickly turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. And there was chippie – still alive, but stunned.

 

“Since the bird was covered with dust and soot from the vacuum, she grabbed it and raced to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held Chippie under the running water.

“Then, realizing Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do…she reached for the hair-dryer and blasted the pet with hot air.

 

“Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.

 

“A few days after the trauma, the reporter who’d initially written about the event contacted Chippie’s owner to see how the bird was recovering. ‘Well,’ she replied, ‘Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore – he just sits and stares.’ ”

 

Sometimes, life deals us blows over which we have no control. One moment we have a song in our heart and a spring to our step, the next we are sucked in, washed up, and blown over. We are stunned, and the song on our lips dies.

 

All we can do is sit and stare, wondering if we will ever regain our positive outlook on life. Like Chippie, the song we used to sing is silenced. Unlike Chippie, we can learn to sing again.

 

That is what it means to experience the renewal that comes from waiting on the LORD. He promises we will sing again if we will only learn to wait upon Him in that available, and dependent, state of being. He will renew our strength.