Falling Particles

When a metal tool as simple as a hoe is sharpened, there are several ways to do it but all involve a process that leaves fragments of metal behind. When I was a little child growing up on a farm, I observed a man assigned the task of filing(sharpening) the hoes for workers in the cotton fields. Mr. Sam would apply a small but long tool of metal called a file against the hoes with a 'back and forth' motion until the hoe was sufficiently sharpened. After the filings, there was always residues of metal particles left from the sharpening. The filing process made the hoes very useful and productive but not without 'taking something away' from the hoe. If the hoes were animate, they would certainly feel the pain from the continued pressure. I observed that over the useful lifespan of the hoes, they became smaller primarily due to the constant need to be sharpened, and as their productivity increased, they literally decreased in size. There is a process in being made useful and productive for God. We delight in being used by God but must also be willing to let the particles fall in the process. 04132019PoSoup