Who Hasn't Been Shaped By Sorrows?

My laptop seems to be imbued with some mystical force that defies logic. More than once it has performed curious mind bending feats that are either otherworldly or possibly miraculous. Last month, after I replied to a friend’s cute text message, I received a “reply” back that appeared in my own response box as if I had written it but not yet sent it. It was a very uplifting message that stunned both of us and immediately erased our mutual sorrows. But who wrote it or where it came from remains unexplained to this day.

There are several other mysteries my trusted laptop has delivered, including spontaneously playing songs with a timely message, opening old emails filled with love, or even surfacing a popup ad while I’m asleep that cheerfully greets me first thing in the morning.

I live a complex but beautiful life, but most people wouldn’t endure the paces I’ve been put through. Sometimes, I’m burdened but filled with gratitude. Other times I soldier on, appreciating all I’ve learned and keep learning.

Lately, I’ve been questioning how much longer I’ll be tumbled in what seems to be an unending process of polishing the stone—as my friend Ken likes to call it.

My laptop seems to be aware of these quiet thoughts of mine because this morning it had a response for me, or rather a sermon. Had I been searching for a sermon, which is something I’ve never done, I wouldn’t have been able to find this one on my own.

What I was doing instead, was quietly reading about Laurence Sterne, a man who had greatly influenced Thomas Jefferson. Upon clicking a link to read a bit more about his writings in Wikipedia, my laptop ushered me instead into The Biblical Illustrator Electronic Database and landed me on a page entitled “Shaped By Sorrow”. Surprised to see nothing about Laurence Sterne, I suspected the link I clicked had been corrupted. So I went back and tried the Wikipedia link again, and this time it took me to the website of the Laurence Sterne Trust. Was my laptop at it again?

Out of curiosity, I returned to The Biblical Illustrator Electronic Database to read whatever lesson it was offering me. While reading it, I felt I may need to read it every day for the rest of my life—but I hope not.

These days, most people I know are questioning just about everything and feeling beleaguered by life’s challenges. Congress’ ludicrous government shutdown threat has only added more fuel to the fire. Whatever may be, reading Shaped by Sorrow below may be a timely piece of wisdom for anyone carrying a heavy load.

Shaped By Sorrow

The best steel is subjected to the alternatives of extreme heat and extreme cold. Were you ever in a cutlery? If you were, you noticed that the knife-blades were heated, and beaten, and then heated again, and plunged into the coldest water, in order to give them the right shape and temper.

And perhaps you also noticed that there was a large heap of rejected blades — rejected because they would not bear the tempering process. They cracked and warped; when put upon the grindstone, little flaws appeared in some that, up to that point, had seemed fair and perfect. Hence they were thrown aside as unfit for market.

So souls, in order to ensure the right temper, are heated in the furnace of affliction, plunged into the cold waters of tribulation, and ground between the upper and nether stones of adversity and disaster. Some come out of the trial pure, elastic, and bright, ready for the highest service; others come out brittle, with ill-temper, full of flaws and spots of rust, and are thrown into the rubbish-room of the Church as unfit for any but the lowest uses.

Now if you would be of any account among the forces that are working out the salvation of this world, be still in the hands of God until He tempers you. Listen to that knife-blade in the hands of the cutler. "Stop, now! I have been in the fire often enough. Would you burn the life out of me?" But in it goes again into the glowing furnace, and is heated to a white heat. "Stop hammering me! I have been pounded enough now." But down comes the sledge. "Keep me out of this cold water. One moment in the fiery furnace and the next in ice-cold water. It is enough to kill one!" But in it goes. "Keep me off the grindstone. You'll chafe the life out of me." But it is made to kiss the stone until the cutler is satisfied. But now see!

When all the heating and cooling and pounding and grinding is done you may bend it double, and yet it springs back straight as an arrow; it is as bright as polished silver, hard as a diamond, and will cut like a Damascus blade. It has been shaped, tempered, and polished, and is worth something.

(R. V. Lawrence)