Stepping Stones: The Ultimate Alchemist

Transformational Thought

My little granny is coming up on 90 years old in January. Good thing she doesn’t get the Internet or she would be so angry with me telling people her age. She still gets to the Russian Orthodox Church, twice a month, to crank out 6000 perogies with her gnarled hands.

You see, my granny is the dough master, the most physically grueling task when making perogies, and she keeps waiting for some young buck to learn her secret before she dies. Perogies, deep-fried, are my favorite food, but perogies are a classic example of the final product being way better than the sum of the ingredients, because of the talent of the cook.

Alchemy is an ancient practice of combining common, cheap substances and transforming them into something of value. One who practices Alchemy is called an Alchemist. So many of us suffer from the belief that we have nothing of value to share with others…or with our God. We feel we are a waste.

Nothing is wasted when it is shared with Your Lord. He can bring beauty out of the ashes of broken or lost dreams. He can glean joy out of sorrow…peace out of adversity. Your God delights in transforming His Children.

Today, bring your sorrow, sadness and brokenness to God. Release them into his care and keeping. He will not only heal your brokenness…He will give you a new dream – one that is in perfect harmony with His plans for you. To do this, give up one of your needs and instead, turn to depend on His promises. As you begin to work with Him to bring this fresh new dream to reality, you will find yourself becoming more and more content and increasingly aware of His beautiful presence.

Only your best friend and the King of Kings could accomplish this Divine Alchemy.

Prayer
Dear Father, I am so blessed to call you my friend. I pray to You, Father, that You help me share more and more of my life with You. I believe You and only You can bring beauty out of my lost dreams…out of my sorrow. I confess, Father, that as I try and bring my junk to you for transformation – I get stuck in my self-pity; my brokenness and my struggles. Help me bring all these things to You so that You place on me a crown of beauty instead of ashes. I know You are the Divine Alchemist. I pray this and all prayers in the name of the One who needed no alchemy to shine His glory, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!


The Truth
He has sent me to bind the brokenhearted…and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:2-3

Jesus looked at them and said; “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:26