Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

No matter how long we’ve walked with the Lord or partaken of sound Biblical teaching, we can always learn more.

I spent the past three days at my denomination’s annual Women’s Ministry Leadership Training conference – LT for short. Each year, I look forward to taking time away from my daily activities, to participate in stimulating workshops, listen to thought-provoking keynote presentations, and reconnect with friends from other parts of the country.

I come home tired but inspired, drenched with points to ponder and potential programs to implement, as if I’d been caught in a sudden summer downpour of experiences. And, true confession, I always pick up a few items at the bookstore to add to my to-be-read pile, regardless of how many unread titles it already contains!

This year is no different. Even though I’m still in the early stages of processing, I want to share a nugget or two with you.

The theme for this year’s conference was “Big Picture Perspective.” I know the Bible is one continuous, extraordinary story of God pursuing His people and being faithful to His promises even when His people are unfaithful to theirs. I’m also familiar with the four main parts of His great big story:

• Creation – when God spoke everything into existence and declared it to be very good. There was perfect peace between God and His creatures and between the creatures themselves (Genesis 1 and 2).
• Fall – the terrible instant when Adam and Eve reaped the consequences of their disobedience, consequences that would impact them, their offspring, and all of Creation, which has been groaning ever since (Genesis 3, Romans 8:19-23).
• Redemption – when Jesus, the promised Messiah, came, lived a sinless life, and paid the debt we owed God so that He sees Jesus’ righteousness, not our filthy rags, when He looks at us (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• Consummation – when Jesus returns to make all things even better than before because there will no longer be the possibility of losing the perfect peace. No more pain, no more tears, no more death (Revelation 21:1-5).

I’ve often said death hurts because it wasn’t part of God’s good plan. Neither were sickness, injuries, conflict, chaos, or disorder. We can look at the way things were in the beginning and see why the brokenness in the world pains us. We were created for relationships and community. No wonder it hurts when we’re left out and isolated. We were created to tend the earth, which would easily flourish under our care. No wonder battling weeds and briers is so burdensome. We were created to live in a peaceful, well-ordered world. No wonder conflict and clutter are so unsettling.

So, what was one of my ah-ha moments at LT?

Creation not only informs our hurts, but it also informs our longings. It’s good to desire close, healthy relationships, pluck weeds from our flower gardens, keep the neighbor’s cat away from the bird feeders, paint, sing, dance, write, and perform for the glory of God. In fact, tending and beautifying all He’s entrusted to us is very good because He declared it so.

Reframing the contrast between the now and the beginning in a more positive way helps my heart focus on the glimpses of goodness God sprinkles throughout my days, to see that He is already making all things new bit by bit, including me.

We know God created the perfect beginning and has promised us a perfect ending. Between those two, we have the assurance that He is with us in the messy middle, transforming us more and more into the image of His Son while advancing His kingdom to the foreordained consummation we long for.

Lord, thank You that I will never fully plumb the depths of Your wisdom and ways, and for the opportunities to learn from my fellow finite sojourners until the day You call me Home!