The Journey

 One block of Basswood

"Am I jumping into something I can't do?"

That was the first thought that crossed my mind as I stared at a simple block of basswood. I had a dream... but no experience. I couldn't see the finished lure yet, but somehow I believed it was hiding inside that block of wood.

I drew the first pencil line, took a deep breath, smiled, and simply said...

"Here we go."

Every journey has a beginning.

This was mine.

Far From Perfect.

Looking at this picture today, I can still see every mistake.

The sanding needed more work.

The transitions weren't as smooth as I wanted.

There were things I wish I had done differently.

But you know what?

This is exactly what learning looks like.

Every rough edge became another lesson, and every lesson made the next lure a little better.

Looking back...

I wouldn't change a thing.

Because if this lure had been perfect...

I probably wouldn't have learned nearly as much.

Now let's give her character.

After three trips to my neighbor's pool, I finally had the ballast just right. She wobbled, dove, and hunted through the water exactly like I had hoped. Now it was time to give her some character.

The paint wasn't perfect, and the pattern still had plenty of room to grow. But when I held her in my hand, I wasn't focused on the flaws. I was holding the very first lure I had carved from a block of wood.

There was only one thing left to do...

Let's go catch a bass!

As I looked at my first handcrafted lure, I smiled.

It wasn't perfect...

Neither was the man who built it.

I'm thankful God doesn't wait for perfection before He begins using us.

He's still shaping... still sanding... and still working on me.

Philippians 1:6

 Every journey continues with another cut, another lesson, and another story worth telling.