Without Wax
The
year was 2004, and there was a cat 5 hurricane known as Ivan slowly moving its
way up the west coast of Florida. As his winds blew, he created some the most
epic waves to have ever hit the Gulf Coast. Well, they were most epic waves of
my surfing career. Double over head barrels, off-shore winds, and warm gulf
waters became my playground for about 4 days as Ivan left his mark in Alabama,
in my memory, and most visibly on my old 6’3″ camouflage Wooster.
I will
never forget that hurricane. Mostly for the amazing surf, but visibly for the
gash I received in my board. A small chunk of my board, about a finger width
wide, and half inch deep was stolen from me during those days. Being 18 and
thinking I know everything, I surely knew how to fix a surf board. I broke off
a piece of my Mighty Mounds wax, and shoved it deep into the gash. I made sure
that it was full as to not let the water get inside…
Sincere:
“derived
from the Latin sine = “without”, cera = “wax”
In the ancient of days as craftsmen would shape and
create clay pots they would find the finished product full of small holes,
rendering their creation useless for boiling or carrying water. With all of the
effort that had gone into creating the pot, throwing it out was NOT an option.
To sell the mis-formed pot, the sculptor would oft smash in some wax, covering
the faulted pot, paint it, and sell it as a beautiful, useful piece of pottery.
Innocent, unsuspecting buyers would purchase the
pottery, take it home, fill it with water and begin preparing dinner for their
family. With their brand new pot, filled with water, veggies, broth, and other tasty
treats, the proud new owner would set their pot upon the fire to begin the
boil. As the pottery heated up, the wax would melt revealing the faults hidden
by the potters’ hands. The contents would spill out drowning the fire, ruining
the anticipated dinner, and leaving the owner with a useless hard piece of
clay.
1 Timothy 1:5-6 encourages us to have a “good
conscience and a ‘sincere’ faith. This is a faith that reveals the truth of who
we are. “For ALL have sinned and fallen short”. We all have our holes and our
faults. We can choose to smash in that wax. Or, we can choose to be sincere,
revealing our faults and being honest with ourselves and all those that
surround us.
Over time the water began to seep in around the wax
in my surf board, slowly but surely destroying the foam that lied just behind.
It began to rot separating fiberglass and foam, rendering my board weak and
soon, useless. If only I had been sincere with my board, fixing it properly
with resin and fiberglass…
Would you live a life of faith that reveals your
faults instead of filling in your holes with the wax that will melt away under
the test of time and fire? Would you go to God and let him fix you permanently
with his love and unending grace? You are NOT a useless piece of dried up clay.
You are a beautiful creation hand crafted by a God who loves you and adores
you. Your holes and your faults let them show. Let God fix you with his healing
hands, and offer yourself up as a useful sincere pot that is holy and pleasing
to God.
