Ever since I saw my first piece of crackle glass about 18 years ago, I have been amazed at its exquisite nature, delicate beauty and apparent fragility. Surely, something like this would shatter with rough handling, perhaps even a whisper of a breeze blown just the right (or wrong) way. And yet, if you know the process that leads to the crackle effect, you know that it is anything but fragile.
My draw to this type of art is born of a sort of kinship, if you will, to the character that is shaped by fire and ice, both extremes that, to me, represent the brokenness and pain, the struggles and the heartaches in life that refine us and make us purer, stronger, better. Hot and intense, the fire that begins the process of making crackle glass is painful, searing, even purging, as any impurities that remain in the glass affect the character of the piece and should be removed. Once the glass is white hot, it is plunged into a container of ice water, and the glass cracks on the surface. In order to smooth the inside, seal the cracks, and create a flat underlayer that makes it suitable for a variety of uses, the glass is then reheated. And reheated again, if necessary. Whatever it takes to perfect the piece.
I thought about this as I looked at the crackle glass soap dispenser I have in my bathroom. I bought it because I liked it, it matched my bathroom colors, and because it was made of crackle glass. But it leaks soap through the cracks, so I get frustrated with having to clean the soap off of it all the time. But the thought struck me the other day that I am much like that soap dispenser. To be sure, I am imperfect, not quite finished the way the Creator has planned, not yet the strong and pure vessel the Master Craftsman of my unique "crackle glass piece"...my heart and soul...has in mind, but still perfectly usable and lovely in the eyes of my Father. Like the soap that continues to seep from the cracks, I pray that the Spirit and Love that live within me seep through the cracks in the walls of my heart, spilling out on those around me to bring glory to Him.
I feel the intense heat that I know is building my character and making me stronger; I am fighting for my health, and this has been a burning, painful, bewildering and difficult struggle. Some days I don't understand it at all, and I am overwhelmed. But most of the time, I find healing and comfort that I have faith in a God that will never leave me and is lovingly helping me become completely usable for that which I was designed by refining me with heat, again and again. And through it all, I have no doubt that He has been with me and has provided support for me every time I needed it most.
"Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." Isaiah 48:10"
My draw to this type of art is born of a sort of kinship, if you will, to the character that is shaped by fire and ice, both extremes that, to me, represent the brokenness and pain, the struggles and the heartaches in life that refine us and make us purer, stronger, better. Hot and intense, the fire that begins the process of making crackle glass is painful, searing, even purging, as any impurities that remain in the glass affect the character of the piece and should be removed. Once the glass is white hot, it is plunged into a container of ice water, and the glass cracks on the surface. In order to smooth the inside, seal the cracks, and create a flat underlayer that makes it suitable for a variety of uses, the glass is then reheated. And reheated again, if necessary. Whatever it takes to perfect the piece.
I thought about this as I looked at the crackle glass soap dispenser I have in my bathroom. I bought it because I liked it, it matched my bathroom colors, and because it was made of crackle glass. But it leaks soap through the cracks, so I get frustrated with having to clean the soap off of it all the time. But the thought struck me the other day that I am much like that soap dispenser. To be sure, I am imperfect, not quite finished the way the Creator has planned, not yet the strong and pure vessel the Master Craftsman of my unique "crackle glass piece"...my heart and soul...has in mind, but still perfectly usable and lovely in the eyes of my Father. Like the soap that continues to seep from the cracks, I pray that the Spirit and Love that live within me seep through the cracks in the walls of my heart, spilling out on those around me to bring glory to Him.
I feel the intense heat that I know is building my character and making me stronger; I am fighting for my health, and this has been a burning, painful, bewildering and difficult struggle. Some days I don't understand it at all, and I am overwhelmed. But most of the time, I find healing and comfort that I have faith in a God that will never leave me and is lovingly helping me become completely usable for that which I was designed by refining me with heat, again and again. And through it all, I have no doubt that He has been with me and has provided support for me every time I needed it most.
"Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." Isaiah 48:10"
No comments:
Post a Comment