Turning Ashes Into BeautySýnishorn

You have probably seen them—a rock tumbler, the kind you add sand and water to, and of course, a rough, jagged rock that needs smoothing out. You tumble that “lucky” rock for a long time, and when the tumbling stops, the stone that was once jagged and rough is, as the saying goes, as smooth as a baby’s bottom!

That has been my year, a year in the rock tumbler. Maybe that has been your year, too! I have walked with friends and family through some rough things and some good ones—all of which produce a kind of stress. And I have had some significant challenges of my own as well. My health—well, more or less my structural health, like needing a new knee, which is an effect of having lived a full life. But the icing on the proverbial “cake of life” came when I broke my big toe the day after Christmas. UGH! Do you know how important a big toe is to living, moving, and feeling well?

I can tell you from experience it is pretty important. Of course, in my humanness, I see the broken toe only as more ashes, but the truth is that God sees the beauty in the midst of my growing ash pile.

I am the first to admit I haven’t done the best job holding up that shield of faith that Paul describes in Ephesians 6. From time to time, I have succumbed to the discouragement that comes from a messy life that has tumbled me a few too many times.

But my hope is that this regrettable state of affairs has changed. My desire is that the tumbling will have produced its intended result, smoothing out my rough edges and making beauty from my ash pile.

A few nights ago, I was contemplating all my struggles and aches and pains, lamenting to the Lord, “Why me,” when the Lord gave me a message. Not a verbal message, but in my heart of hearts, deep down in the very center of my soul—and what He said surprised me a bit.

“It is time to put on your big girl pants. It is time to remember Whose you are! It is time to remember that God makes beauty from all those ashes.”

One thing I have learned over my many years of walking with the Lord is that He rarely minces words when talking to His children who are in need of discipline or need to hear a word from Him. He doesn’t usually keep us wondering what we need to be doing when we willingly seek Him.

How do you and I move forward when our circumstances are messy and overwhelming? By remembering our position in Christ and by putting up the shield of faith and walking on. By keeping our mind on the One Who changes hearts and uses brokenness to refine us. For many of us, this is not a new lesson, but one we have worked on many times over the years. And yet, we need to hear it again. In Ephesians 6, Paul could have easily said, “Put on your big girl (or boy) pants and walk on.” In other words, “It is time to get serious, pull on that armor, and grow into the person I made you to be!” It is time to put up that shield of faith and move! Remember, dear one, what your identity is as God’s child. Remember Whose you are and Whom you serve. He is the God Who makes beauty from ashes!

Eugene Peterson put this chapter of Ephesians so clearly and forthrightly as he wrote the Message. Here is how he made sense of it:

Ephesians 6:10-18 The Message

10-12 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no weekend war that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

13-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting, you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

So, friend, let’s put up our shield of faith and walk on as a child of the King! Let’s see our messy situation the way our God does. God is the One Who lovingly and loyally makes beauty from ashes!

Was this plan helpful? This plan was written by Anne Farnum, author of Pack Your Baggage, Honey, We're Moving to Paris: What Women Need to Know About Living Free From Emotional Baggage. Learn more at www.authorannefarnum.com.