The Pine Cone

After taking the kids to P.E. the other day, Bro. Valentin came back to school so pumped up. He was holding a pine cone in his hand that he found in the field. He was sure he could make a pen out if it.  A lot of the time, Valentin will get pumped up about something he read in the Bible and what he's planning on teaching for Bible study on Wednesday night. Sometimes he'll catch me on my way up to school and he gets to talking and talking...while I'm standing there juggling a pile of books, my purse, and hot tea...and he's just going all in-depth about a correlation he found in the Bible and his glory-days being a soldier in the Mexican army. I'm backing slowly away, trying to escape, and he's getting more and more animated, coming towards me. LOL. This is a classic conversation with Bro. Valentin. Lately when he's done this, he finishes then I say, "Oh wow! That's great! I guess I don't need to come to church tonight since you just gave me your entire study." Haha!

After lunch that day, Valentin came back with the pine cones trimmed down and ready to be made into a pen. He was so excited. He told me to take a picture so we could show my dad the before and after pictures. 

This pine cone completely inspired Valentin. He based his whole study that night off of it. He did SO GOOD! I don't think I've ever heard him teach a better lesson. 

He brought down the lathe and showed the two parts of the pen. At this point, he'd turned the pine cone parts down. However, one side of the pen was destroyed in the process. A chunk off the side of it had blown off in the turning-down process. He used this as an example of God shaping and working on us. 

If we let Him put us on the potter's wheel, if we let ourselves be formed and shaped, God will make us into something beautiful. On the other hand, if we resist, our lives will be destroyed.

The next day, Valentin came back with a second pine cone. He said, "If one person refuses to be molded by God and doesn't want to be used, then there is always someone else who will!" 

By the end of the day, he proudly presented this stunningly beautiful pen. 

I was shocked! It is one of the most beautiful pens I've seen. It reminds me of a peacock.

 Valentin has become a true artist in pen-making!

~Bethany~