Sharp Knives and Great Gifts

A couple of years ago I was in Seattle with a very good friend. He used to work on crab fishing boats. I am a big fan of the show "The Deadliest Catch" so I am a big fan of my friend. Those guys are amazing. Anyway, my friend took me to a store where all the real fishermen buy their knives. These are knives they carry in their boots in case they get tossed overboard and are tangled in a rope they can cut their way loose. They are very sharp knives. I bought several. I love them. They are like super sharp steak knives. They are my favorite kitchen instrument. I was using one last night to cut very thin slices of cheddar cheese. It was great. Later I found some chocolate that we had melted for fondue and then saved in the frig. It was cold and hard. I had a hankering for chocolate so I took the knife to it. The knife slipped off the chocolate, through the tupperware and then through my finger. I spent the next couple of hours in the emergency room. I am ok except for feeling remarkably foolish. Here is my point. I love the knife. It is awesome. The best things in my life are like that knife. If they stay in their proper place, their God-given place then they remain a wonderful gift. But if I use them for something they were never intended for they become dangerous to me and they make that switch very quickly. That goes for my family, my children, my job, my health. All these things are great gifts. All of them like knives. If I try to use any one of them to give me worth I will very quickly end up in some kind of emergency room. Only God can fill the deepest need in my soul. Only God can fill the deepest need in yours. Remember that as you butter your toast tomorrow. I will remember it for a while as my poor finger heals. Even the healing is a gift of grace from the true God.