The Silversmith
By: Alyssa Merka
  
   


"God, please take this from me," I cried as I sat crumpled over at my desk. I straightened myself and tried to stop the sobs that were shaking through my body. I looked into the mirror above my desk. My face was streaked with tears and my dull green eyes were puffy and red. Another heaving wave of sobs shook through me and I fell in a heap to the floor, my hand over my aching heart.
  
   
    For some time, I had felt God calling me to come higher. Not really knowing how to get there, I began asking Him to remove every evil thing from my heart. Since I was active in the church and considered a "good Christian girl," I subconsciously didn't expect my heart to harbor anything displeasing to the Lord. Now I realized that there were things in my life --old habits, wrong mindsets, bad thought patterns-- that can't stand the purging of the Holy Spirit. Having never been under conviction this strongly, it was all I could to do weep as I lay dumbfounded and ashamed on the floor.

Suddenly, a vision flashed before my eyes, and as clearly as I saw the vibrant threads of the rug beneath me, I saw myself in a one-room stone building. An iron anvil stood in the center of the room with hammers and tools covering the workbenches and walls. A large iron crucible sat in the far right corner of the room with a smokestack extending through the ceiling. Two empty stools sat by the crucible. A man stood with his back to me, hunched over the pot, heating its contents. He was absorbed in his work and didn't seem to notice his visitor. I stood still in my tracks, not sure of what I was experiencing. I could see over the man's broad shoulder into the contents of the melting pot. He was stirring liquid silver with a long iron rod as the impurities rose to the surface. A mysterious atmosphere surrounded the man and his pot that overcame my fear and drew me to him. I tried not to disturb him as he strained the residue from the liquid's surface.

He put the fire out from beneath the pot to let it cool, then turned to look at me. "Ah, I have been expecting you!" he said, as he held out his calloused, yet gentle hand. His face was kind, and smile sincere. The deep-set wrinkles across his forehead suggested that he had seen many sorrows, but his eyes depicted another story. They were bright blue and full of joy, warmth, and life. It was as if he held eternity in his eyes. They seemed magnetic and I could not break contact with them. I recognized his eyes and I felt like I had known him forever. Could this man be...? I dismissed the thought from my mind. Surely it was impossible. "I am the Refiner and Purifier of silver, and I have been anticipating your visit." The realization of Who He was hit me and I stood before Him speechless. Seeing that I was frozen in my path, He came and stood beside me. He made me feel like a tiny child as He draped His massive arm around my shoulder. "Come, my child," he said. "Let me show you around my workshop."

He took me to His workbench where he hammered and pounded the silver. He showed me the molds into which he poured the purified silver. He then showed me some of the things He had crafted: everything from sharp tools and swords to delicate jewelry. Finally, He led me back to the iron crucible where He reheated the silver that had cooled earlier in the pot. "When you gave me permission to search your heart, you didn't know what you were asking, did you?" He asked as He went about His task. The question made me feel very small. I didn't answer, just hung my head. "Purifying a man's heart is no different than purifying silver. The silver is put over a fire to soften it. As heat passes through the metal, the impurities, called sludge, cannot stand the heat and are forced to the surface. As they appear, they are strained from the silver. Then, the silver is briefly allowed to cool, only to be heated again. This process is repeated until the silver is completely pure. Only at this stage am I able to mold and form the silver into whatever purpose I have predestined. Your heart is exactly like this. If you wish to be a vessel used in My Kingdom, you must allow he fire to burn in your heart and allow me to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Impurities are then removed from you like sludge is strained from silver."

"But Lord," I asked meekly, "how do You know when the silver has been completely purified?" He smiled warmly.

"That's a fair question. You see, when I am heating the silver over the fire, I can never leave the pot for a second. If I leave it too long, the silver will ruin. If I do not heat it long enough, the silver would be very weak when I tried to use it. I know that the silver is completely pure when I can see my reflection in it."

And the vision ended as quickly as it had begun. I laid motionless on the floor, not wanting it to end. I sat up slowly and pulled myself to the chair in front of my desk. As I looked into the mirror, I noticed my eyes had changed from a listless green to a bright, vibrant blue, and, for just a moment, I caught a glimmer of the Man's gentle face in my reflection.