One of the earliest areas of building I can remember being involved in when I was a young boy was masonry. My Uncle Duane was a bricklayer and stone mason and my dad had a special interest in stone work as well. Stone work has always had a special appeal to me. I can remember going to a quarry or out along the roadsides with an old trailer and picking up stones that would be used for a fireplace, or a decorative façade, or some other part of a building.The selection, preparation and placement of stones has always fascinated me. Often the stones were placed in a huge pile outside and we boys brought them one-by-one to Dad or Uncle "Dudie."
They would reach down and pick up a particular stone, turn it over in their hands, imagine its placement in the project and then either accept or reject it. Sometimes, even though the stone was accepted, it needed a little extra "forming" in order to fit just right in the spot which "the master" had determined. Uncle Dudie would ask for his stone hammer and chisel and would go to work on the stone until it fit just right. Interestingly, at the end of the project, seldom were there very many stones left which had been either rejected or unused. Those that knew how to work with stone usually found a place for nearly every one.
As I look at our lives, I often wonder if each life isn't quite similar to each of those stones. For the untrained eye, each stone is indistinguishable from the others, and often they're seen as simply being in one big pile. But the "Master Stone Mason" knows that there is a place for each stone in the final product and at the right time, it will fit into just the right place. Yes, sometimes the Master must "take off a few unnecessary bumps" in order for the stone/life to fit just right, but
then, the fit is perfect alongside all the other stones and "the project" is one step closer to being finished. I'm thankful for the careful way that the Master Stone Mason selects, prepares and places each of us in "His Building!" I want to continue to allow the Master Stone Mason to examine my life and fit me for just the right place alongside all the other beautiful stones so when it's all done, the final product will truly be a wonderful thing of beauty to behold!
