“So watch, wait, and trust the Craftsman.”
My son Luke is an auto body specialist, and one of the best in the business. When you walk into his shop, you’re entering a craftsman’s studio. In Luke’s shop, every car is restorable – no matter its condition.
Some of the cars that show up in the shop, damaged and broken, are hardly recognizable – clearly unusable in their current state (see the actual shop photo below). You and I would say, “that one’s hopeless – impossible to restore!” But to my son, not so. A true craftsman doesn’t know the word impossible. When all we see is the damage, he sees the vision. As he runs his hands gently over the crumpled brokenness, he already has an overriding vision in his mind’s eye of something beautiful. His passion as a craftsman is relentless, no matter how long it takes to achieve the vision.
For all intents and purposes, Luke is a master craftsman. When he’s working, the best thing we can do is just stand back and let him work. From the craftsman’s vision, to his eyes, to his hands, to his tools… the silent, sacred work begins. There are tools we’ve never seen and never even knew existed. We watch with amazement at the bewildering steps he takes, most of which don’t make sense to us simply because we don’t understand his ways, or what he sees, or what he knows.
Anyone trying to offer help would actually hinder and delay the work that needs to be done – that only a master craftsman can do. So we watch, wait and trust the craftsman.
So it is with another specialist. Jesus was the first and only divine craftsman. In His brief earthly life, He was considered a carpenter of wood and stone. In the Biblical Greek, the word τέκτων (tektōn), meaning craftsman, is used in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3.
More and more each day I’m in awe of God’s Word, from cover to cover the love story of this Master Craftsman. He is the Redeemer. His vision is to restore what is broken, damaged seemingly beyond repair. Even heaven’s angels wonder with amazement at the mystery of God’s plan for our redemption.
We are the damaged and broken. Life is messy, we get hurt, and we hurt others. But we are built into the divine story. You are. The Master Craftsman has a vision for you.
He sees you as you finally surrender and enter into His presence. You surely know you are damaged and in need of restoration, but the eyes of the Craftsman are gracious. When all you see is your crumpled brokenness, He sees the vision. I have no doubt in my own life. If you have any doubts, ask Him to reveal Himself to you. And the Master Craftsman will begin His silent, sacred work on you.
You say it’s impossible. Your impossible is unique to your own life. Think for a moment about it. Is it your broken family that you say will never be restored? Or maybe it’s a wayward child that’s lost and you say will never turn back. Is it an illness that seems insurmountable, or an addiction that you’re sure will never leave you? Maybe it’s painful regrets about past choices, missed opportunities, or severed relationships. Whatever it is, no matter what, bring it to Him.
You and I would say, “No, this one’s hopeless – impossible to restore!” But to the Craftsman, not so. You must never forget that He doesn’t know the word impossible, period. As He gently runs His hands over your wounds, fears, regrets – all your damage – He already has an overriding vision in His mind’s eye of something beautiful in your life. The Craftsman’s passion is relentless, no matter how long it takes to achieve the vision.
“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ ” – Matthew 19:26
He has tools in his shop that most of us have never seen, never knew existed. They do not include human logic or our common sense. Watch in faith (with your spiritual eyes) the bewildering steps he takes, most of which don’t make sense to you in the moment simply because you can’t fully understand his ways, or what he sees, or what he knows.
” ‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ “ – Isaiah 55:8-9
I’ll leave you with a word of caution that comes directly from my own experience. If you’re trying to help God – the Master Craftsman – you will actually hinder and delay the work that needs to be done – that only He can do.
So watch, wait and trust the Craftsman.
” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’ ” – Jeremiah 29:11
