Sanding

Sanding as a metaphor of living a life of value. How did I come up with this topic, you ask? Well, maybe you did not ask either because you know me or you do not really care enough to ask… But, this morning as I write, sanding is on my mind. My son, my daughter-in-law, and my two grandchildren just started working on their new house. They are going to turn this slightly damaged house into their Home. With work beginning, I have promised to assist them so I have gotten involved. Today, I offered to them the use of my sanders. I have several. My favorites are my orbital sander and my belt sander. These power tools can help smooth and finish many projects. Oh, You can see where I am going…

It sometimes helps to have good tools to smooth the rough spots of one’s life. Depending on the situation at hand, you must assess whether you require major smoothing or a more subtle approach. In sanding, you start with a “coarse” sand paper for the obviously rough substance you are working upon. When the roughness is managed, you can progressively move to the “finer” grades of sand paper until you get to the “finishing” and “fine” grade of sand paper. The surface becomes smooth. So smooth, it may feel soft. The beauty of the grain of the wood begins to become richer. (If you are sanding wood.) A wood craftsperson will sand with the grain, gently, to allow the beauty to “pop.” It can require patience to gain the “luster” of a most beautiful finished product. It can require a soft and gentle approach as you move to completion of your sanding project. Of course, you move to the finest coarseness of your sand paper. You may create the very best end result with your focused love. And, you want to take precautions to keep the finer dust of the material you are smoothing away from having a negative effect on you. Wear a Mask! (Not a political statement.) You can love and acknowledge this excess material without having to “take it in.” Physically or emotionally.

These techniques can find their way into many human relationships and interactions. Patience and loving focus can buff the rough edges of human relationships, if you have the desire to bring out the best grain in your interpersonal connection. Starting rough and moving toward a finer more subtle approach can bring out the very best, if your relationship manages to have the value to smooth into a work of art. Most of the time, you do not even know the beauty which the loving smoothing can bring out. The magic is worth the effort to turn a new or rough relationship into a smooth and elegant expression of what is humanly possible. The deep richness of the grain which emerges is not always what you expected but what you can uncover is always interesting.

So, when the opportunity arises in your life to find and to work with a rough, fresh relationship, consider what the patience and love might uncover as you sand away in finer and finer grits. The beauty of the unique grain will pop out from your loving efforts.

And, now I must go to deliver on my promise, to assist my son with his new project. We will work and then watch as the beauty of the grain comes to the surface of the home project he has started. My hope is that you have the love and the patience to work your way through the rough spots of the important relationships and projects in which you are engaged. Your efforts are appreciated by the Universe. The Divine Spirit “knows” your intention and supports the creativity and artwork you produce as you sand your way through your life. You are a Miracle. As a Miracle you produce miracles with every loving connection you attempt. Whether you know it or not, YOU are an artist. A craftsperson capable of bringing the possible beauty to the surface of every relationship you may hold as valuable.

AND, The Divine Spirit also appreciates that not every bit of sanded dust is material which you must hold on to. You can allow yourself to release the rough edges you have smooth down as you have honed your relationships. The Universe knows what to do with the excess matter which you have sanded away. Nothing is ever lost but nothing is permanent either (in our material world.) Find the beauty of the deep grain in the projects of your life…

Thank you for your time and consideration.