Have you ever eaten raw nuts?
Raw nuts are purported to be really good for us. No artificial additives and no additional oils are used to process raw nuts. I suspect the nuts are simply transported on a long conveyor belt to some machine that smashes (OK, cracks) open the shell to gain access to the nut meat. Then, somehow, the nut meats are separated from the shucks, again by machine, to another conveyor belt full of nuts that get a final human-eye sort before moving on to the packing part of the process. Very orderly, neat, and, hopefully, sanitary. The final product is the genuine, nutritious article, no salt added, though somewhat devoid of distinctive flavor - very unlike nuts roasted with oil and salt.
Now, take these raw nuts, lay them out flat on a surface that can withstand heat, and subject them to high temperatures for a period of time until they begin to emit their own oils and aroma. Remove them from the heat source, letting them completely cool. This process results in a final product that is crisp, flavorful and still healthy.
Aren't we 'human' nuts similar? The newspaper and television news shows are full of "nut" stories - stories about greed, avarice, murder, deception, evil, envy, theft, and the no-less-frustrating stories that stem from stupidity, thoughtlessness, mistrust, ignorance, and apathy.
God's process for us is a bit like being packaged in a nut factory. In the end, we are placed on God's conveyor belt, defrocked, then washed clean - all reduced to the lowest common denominator of life - that of universal humanity. The belt-of-life chugs along, nuts and all to the processing plant where we undergo the final sort of God's eye, before being packed into vessels that He can use, regardless of race or creed. He subjects us to heat trials, high temperatures and our final result is that we are flavorful, healthy, and useful. Still nuts, but not raw any more. Roasted, instead, to perfection.
I can see that I am still in the 'raw nuts' stage, waiting to see what my usefulness is to Him. I can feel the heat, though. Temperature's rising!
Ancora imparo
