Last week I shared an image on my social media sites that really spoke to me. It’s kind of silly really. It is just my dragon puppet pattern, but before all of his pieces are sewn together.
I looked at him and thought this is so much like us. We are all constant works in progress, and we are at the mercy of those we allow to help assemble us.
The thing is, we all have strings. We are constantly growing, constantly changing, and hopefully constantly learning. But God tells us to be mindful of those we allow to shape us and our lives.
Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.
~Proverbs 13:20
There are many verses much like this sprinkled throughout Proverbs, warning us of the company we keep. We are taught to be wise and discerning when it comes to choosing our companions, and with good reason.
Those we allow to help us through all of life’s changes, those we allow to aid us on this ever changing journey; they have access to our strings. They hold power in our assembly. When I create an item, such as the puppet above, I do so with great care. I want it to be beautiful and creative, and well loved by someone who appreciates its uniqueness. I want each stitch made well, each piece sewn in securely and evenly. I want to be sure it won’t fall apart with one tug. I want it to be sturdy and strong for great, creative adventures. We should all have people in our corners, taking such great care of our strings.
But unlike this puppet, we as adults, have a choice as to who we allow in that corner. God has given us the wisdom needed for being discerning about our companionship.
Do you remember the story of of Pinocchio? One thing that always stood out to me, was that when his strings were removed, he made poor choices. He was given a freedom he had never known before. He didn’t realize the great care with which his puppet master treated him.
We are not puppets. God did not design us to be controlled by strings. He created us with freedom in mind; the freedom to choose Him, or not; the freedom to choose wise friends, or not; the freedom to make wise choices…or not. Although we are not puppets in this way, we do have strings, and the choices we make determine how we allow those strings to be controlled. We are in need of assembly, of growth, and if we make Christ the keeper of our strings, the head of our work in progress, He will give us the wisdom to surround ourselves with those who will build us up, in Him. He will not leave us alone to try to piece things together ourselves.