Carpenters. . .

August 7, 2011 – Sunday

Today in Testimony Meeting, I had a thought come to my mind. . . a picture, actually, that was followed with some thoughts.  I contemplated them during Sunday School, and in Relief Society, and finally shared them in my testimony at the end of our Relief Society meeting.  I want to share them with each of you, too.

With my dad in the hospital, it has caused my thoughts to turn to him a bit.  I was raised by a father who is a building contractor.  While I was growing up, my dad would sometimes take me on jobs with him, and I learned quite a bit about hammers, saws, and especially putty and putty knives.  My dad did a lot of remodeling work, fixing buildings that were damaged, or adding onto existing ones.  He would take things from a state of disrepair and turn them into beautiful, functional homes and offices.  He was a very good carpenter. . . which then caused me to think of our Savior, the Master Carpenter. 

Our Savior was raised by his earthly father, a carpenter.  Jesus learned this trade growing up.  However, His life was about reconstruction and remodeling of a different type.  I picture each of us as a very fine piece of wood just waiting to be chiseled and molded into what our Heavenly Father wants us to be.  However, we are here in mortality where “things happen.”  We get chinks and gouges in our wood that can be very unsightly.  It may be like a young child taking a ball point pen and gauging the letter “H” into your fine wood.  You may even wonder HOW it will ever be repaired.  You may attempt to hide it, but the gouge is still there.  Occasionally, you may remember it.

But the Master knows how to fix even the worst gouge or dent.  He doesn’t send some underling to fill in the hole with putty.  He comes Himself.  His life-blood, the Atonement, is the “filler” used to heal the wounds and the scars we each have.  As we turn to Him and seek His help, He fills us, sands and polishes, and makes us in His image. 

He truly is the Master.  It is because of Him that we can be made whole, that we can stand before Him with love and gratitude for ALL we have, ALL we are, and ALL that we will ever become.  He is the ONLY way.  Truly.

Just wanted you to know.

Love,

Mom