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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Marvelous (10/10/24)
The clanging of hammer against hot metal was music to the blacksmith's ears, a marvelous tune as he shaped scrap pieces into a beautiful works of art. He had been doing this for many years and the shapes he could make with fiery hot metal never ceased to amaze him. The rod he was working on now became like moldable clay, as he put it in a vice, clamped pliers around it and twisted it to make a corkscrew shape.

As he worked he thought of the Scripture he had read that morning.

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

Greyson's heart tightened as he thought of the trials he'd been through; the most recent, still a fresh, squeezing grief.

God, how can you use this in my life? What impurities do you want to remove, as you plunge me into the furnace of affliction, pull me out and began hammering away? I'm not sure I want this pain, but here we are. Will you hear a marvelous tune, as you hammer on my life, shaping me, molding me, twisting me? Can a song arise as beauty from ashes?

As Greyson continued the process of heating, hammering, shaping, molding, an idea emerged. With excitement coursing through his veins, he worked long into the night. When the he was finally done, he stood back, admiring his work, amazed at what the Lord, his God, had inspired him to make. He couldn't wait to present it to his wife, Julia, in the morning. Exhausted, he went into the house, washed up, and climbed the stairs to their bedroom. He was glad he didn't wake Julia as he crawled into bed next to her and fell into a peaceful, deep sleep, such as he hadn't had in a long time.

As he slept, his dreams were of music, marvelous music, trilling up and down the scales in beautiful harmony, colors of light swirling, dancing, filling his long-aching heart with joy, hope, peace.

In the morning, he slowly wakened, as light filtering in from the rising sun, filled the room. A song of praise arose in his heart. Grief was still there, but had lessened a bit, washed away on the music of his dreams.

He lay on his side, gazing at his lovely wife, as she too, slowly wakened. He studied the soft lines of her face, marveling at her beauty, a beauty borne of a grief, she too, carried, that God had used to soften and shape her heart.

“Good morning, my love.” Greyson said, a lilt in his voice.

“Good morning. Oh! Look at you! You're smiling. Oh, Greyson! Something has happened. Your face is fairly glowing.”

“Yes, put your robe on and come with me out to the forge. I want to show you something.”

Julia laughed, grabbed her robe from the foot of the bed, and put on her slippers that were on the floor nearby. Greyson did the same on his side of the bed, then took her hand, as she walked by, leading her down the stairs, through the sunny yellow kitchen, and out the door to the forge across the driveway. The open-aired, weathered building where the forge was housed, was awash in golden sunlight. The stillness of the morning was holy to Greyson, as they entered, and he saw again what God had inspired him to create the night before. Sitting on a shelf, it seemed to glow, filling him again with the wonder of his dream, the marvelous music filling his soul.

Julia gasped, her eyes filling with tears as she beheld what her husband had created. A beautiful treble clef, with musical notes intertwined throughout.

“You know, don't you, sweetheart?” Greyson whispered.

“Oh, yes, I do. God is making music out of the tragedy of our hearts, and giving us a reason to sing again.”

“Exactly. The enemy tried to steal it away, but God is saying, out of this tragedy, He will make marvelous music. The affliction of our souls has been harsh, but He's not finished with us yet.”

Greyson took the piece of art off the shelf, and holding his wife's hand, they turned to face another new day, their hearts a little lighter, knowing that their suffering had a purpose and that God was not set on destroying them, but molding and shaping them, to bring marvelous music to others who might also be suffering unimaginable grief and hurts for various reasons. Fear need not be a part of them as they continued their journey of life, with God leading them every step of the way.





Inspired by a sermon my brother recently preached, and from watching a video of a blacksmith...

Scripture reference: Isaiah 48:10 (ESV)
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This article has been read 281 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Rachel Rudd
10/21/24
What a beautiful depiction of how God can use our hurt to bring music to us and the world! Just one thing that I thought as a reader was that the last paragraph could be shortened to just the first part of the first sentence. I liked the dialogue between the couple, though. May God bless you and your writing!
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
10/24/24
This is a beautiful story. I really enjoyed the MC. I could feel his pain and his passion. I also liked they mystery. I found myself wondering what the artwork would reveal, and the ending didn't disappoint.