Poking, Prodding
Sparks start flying
Flames engulf
Sparks continue
Not a soul in sight
Heat radiates
Burning flesh
Crackling bones
The pain is extreme
Shielded faces watch from afar
One hand dares to reach in
The poking continues
The next layer burns
Falls to the bottom and ignites
“This flame is not dying
So you’d best just give in
Simply let all the layers burn off
The pain will be worth it
I promise you’ll see
Just trust me, my child
Let go.”
But there’s no giving in
So the flame is turned up
“This part is essential my child”
Screaming and crying and wailing begin
As layers begin to unravel
Anger’s suddenly overtaken by peace
As hate gives way to love
Fear & anxiety bow down and leave
As confidence and courage stand firm in the void
“What’s going on?”
“Where am I?”
“Who am I?”
The questions begin to burst forth
“Be patient my child
There’s more to be done
I’m refining you just as you asked.”
One thing the girls of goodness.gracious. and I have pretty much agreed upon is that refinement hurts and really sucks sometimes. Over the past week or so we’ve all had at least one breakdown, if not more, thanks to this lovely process of refinement. What we’re all realizing though is it’s all thanks to a little something called “be careful what you pray for because you might just get it.” When you pray prayers like, “do with me what you want God,” or “break me,” or my all time favorite “break my heart for what breaks yours,” be prepared for it to happen. Be prepared to experience the pain and heartache of the refining fire. Seriously. I’m not saying don’t pray those prayers because frankly, we all need to. I’m just saying be careful what you pray for because you might just get it and in the case of refinement, it’s more like, you will get it. We all know great things are going to come from this but when you’re in it-when you’re in that fiery furnace of refinement-you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about when I say it sucks. I’m excited for this process, really I am, because I know He’ll renew me through it. But man oh man, does refinement hurt–I’m just happy I’ve got others with me!
“This third I will bring into the fire;
I will refine them like silver
and test them like gold.
They will call on my name
and I will answer them;
I will say, ‘They are my people,’
and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.'”Zechariah 13:9
