"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." A familiar proverb to me, and one that has proven true this week. I sit in my best friend's living room, a room I haven't sat in for nearly three years. It has been way too long since I've been in Kentucky. I have missed my friends, but more than that, I have missed our "sharpening sessions."
In the mornings, when we walk the dogs, we talk.
"What books are your reading?"
"What's God doing in your life now?"
"What are you struggling with?"
"Where is God leading you?"
These are wighty questions, but for iron to sharpen, it must face something equally as hard as it is. The sharpening process involves two things. (1) The blade must be "uncurled" or straightened. Whne you see a chef use a sharpening rod, this is what he is doing. A blade will actually "roll" over time. It's nearly microscopic, but that rolled edge means a dull blade. (2) Friction is used to hone the blade to the sharpest possible point. That is when a whetstone comes into play. The blade is dragged across the stone to remove any nicks and imperfections.
When my friend and I ask these questions we are uncurling ourselves, exposing our hearts, passions, dreams and fears to one another. We are opening ourselves to God's whetstone so that we can be honed as instruments for His glory. The questions aren't always easy to ask, and sometimes they are even more difficult to answer. But I want to be sharp. I want to be useful.
So as I sit in this familiar room I realize, I need to visit more often. My blade was dulled. My effectiveness slowed. I needed a good sharpening. After all, that's what friends are for.
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