“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NIV)

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13-14a NIV)

Recently, I received a commission for a piece of stained glass. At a friend’s home, a gentleman had seen a glass that I had created a number of years previously, and he contacted me to see if I would consider doing a similar scene for him. I agreed to create it.

A few days later, I began work. This scene involved a caribou, and the head and antlers, as I soon recalled, were very challenging to create. I persevered for several hours, until finally, I was happy with my efforts. In fact, I felt that this piece, so far, exceeded the original, which was a great encouragement and motivator to keep going. Thus, I was devastated to come back into the house after a short break and discover that the clear glass, which the stained glass was glued to, had been smashed. The lower right corner lay in five large pieces, scattered on my work table.

Sophie, one of my dogs, had obviously leapt onto the table to look out the window to see where I was. This is a habit of hers, so I had made sure to move the project well away from the centre of the table, over to the far edge, for the sake of safety. Nevertheless, somehow, she had stepped on the corner of the glass and shattered it.

What to do? This was my last frame and piece of clear glass, and I did not know when I would be able to find another one suitable for this project. I called a friend to tell her what had happened, and she encouraged me not to toss the work, but to stay calm and consider alternatives. After all, I had already repaired several severely broken pieces that customers had inadvertently dropped and brought back to me to see if there was anything that I could do.

Later that evening, I decided to try gluing the pieces back together. The next morning, I saw that the pieces had held, so I repeated the process on the backside of the glass. I notified my customer as to what had happened. I let him know that I would finish the piece, and if it turned out well, without any cracks showing, and if he still wanted it, I would discount the price. He was happy with this arrangement.

I found, however, that I had lost my motivation to move ahead with the glass. It was damaged. It was a second. It had to be discounted. I was discouraged and really just wanted to toss it. But God used this scenario to remind me of some spiritual truths. In His sight, none of us is ever viewed as a second. None of us is less important because we are flawed and damaged. And none of us is ever discounted. He loves us all equally, and Jesus died for every single one of us, no matter who we are or what we have done. To Him, each of His creations is precious, beautiful, and honoured in His sight, for after all, we are each created in His image.

With these truths in mind, I found myself once again happily working on this new and special stained-glass creation. Somehow, I think that it may just turn out to be one of my best works ever.

Prayer: Father God, thank You that You love and care for each one of us equally. There are no seconds or discounted people in Your eyes, for You created us in Your image and desire that none should perish, but that everyone should come to repentance. May it be so. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.

Copyright © 2022, by Lynne Phipps <lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com>, first published on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional presbycan.ca .
Atlin, British Columbia, Canada

Reprinted from PresbyCan with author’s permission