Knives and Axes

By Rachel Coltharp

My child is frustrated. He wants soooooooo desperately to read, but is chafing over the fact that he is being forced to first learn letters. He does NOT want to learn letters, they are such small things, his heart yearns for BIG things - like sentences, chapters, volumes. 

He is itching to dive into the adventures encased within the tomes his older siblings are consuming. He is hungry for WORDS - and I am wasting his time on letters. His vision is BIG - and he thinks mine is too small.

Have you ever been there? Ever felt frustrated because you wanted, needed, were called to something, but instead of being launched out into your dream, you find yourself doing something that feels lesser.

Take heart my friend. You are not alone. You are instead in the throes of the painful place of training. Yes, I know you FEEL ready. But when the door has not opened, it is because God is preparing you for what you NEED. 

Feeling ready rarely has anything to do with BEING ready.  

So take a lesson from the pocket knife and the ax. Both are blades, wielded by a hand. Both will cut wood. 

God may call you to cut timber while you still have only a pocket knife.

You FEEL the call and answer it with a resounding "Yes." But hacking away at an oak with a pocket knife is wearing out your arms, exhausting your strength, may not be God's plan... 

  

Many times we are sent first to spend time splitting firewood. Our heart is in the forest, but it is in the smaller task of splitting logs that we build our strength and get the feel of the blade.

We are sent to practice on logs, in preparation for the forest.  

It can keep us from burning out our physical strength, hurting ourselves and others with wild swinging, or giving up in frustration, because our tools were inadequate.  

It is okay to feel frustrated splitting logs. Split them anyway.

It is okay to yearn for the forest. Yearn, but split with diligence.

David spent time protecting/feeding sheep and leading/rescuing rag-tag outlaws

before he became king.

Joseph spent time learning to run a household for Potiphar and work with fellow prisoners before he ran Egypt as Prime Minister.

So before you charge off into the forest with the pocket knife skills you were born with, remember this, time spent sharpening your skills with an ax is not time wasted.

"Do not despise these small beginnings,

for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin..."

(Zechariah 4:10)

_____________________

Editor's Note: Rachel is the wife of Brent Coltharp, Co-pastor of First Apostolic Church of Aurora, Illinois, and District Superintendent  for the state of Illinois. They are the parents of four children, three sons and one daughter who are home-schooled by Sis. Rachel.