By John Grant

Week Nineteen, 2018

Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel (Proverbs 25:4).

After changing into jump suits, my bride and I proceeded to a small cage. Once inside, the operator pressed a button and we descended down 10,000 feet or about two miles below the South African surface. We were then led through tunnels until we came to where miners were chiseling into the gold ore. The ore was loaded into the cars of the mine train and then transported to the surface, where it was processed.

Once we ascended, we walked through the process of refining the gold. It goes through several processes to separate the pure gold. Finally the gold is melted and then poured out into solid gold bricks. As I held one in my arms, I was amazed at how much ore was left over compared to the gold it produced.

I then thought about that process in Biblical terms, as what the refining the gold was a word picture of what God wants to do with me. Just as unwanted and excess material must be removed from gold or silver before it acquires its value, so we must sometimes go through the fires of purification in our own lives to bring out our true potential as servants of God.

In biblical times, a refiner began by breaking up rough ore—hardened rock encased with common minerals such as tin, copper, and zinc. But that rock also had the promise of valuable, rare metals hidden within—the precious metals of gold and silver. The breaking of the rock is necessary to begin the refining process to expose highly valuable metals to heat. The Lord communicates His perfect plan to us—we are rough rock in need of refining fire.

The refiner puts broken, crushed ore into a “crucible”—a fireproof melting pot able to withstand extreme heat. Then the refiner places the crucible into the furnace at the precise temperature necessary for removing other metals that would mar the quality of the gold or silver. Just as the furnace is used to purify silver in the crucible, our Refiner uses heat to purify our hearts and cleanse our character.

As the ore melts in the crucible under the watchful eye of the refiner, a layer of impurities called “dross” eventually forms on the surface. The Bible says, “Remove the dross from the silver, and a silversmith can produce a vessel” For us individually, dross represents any misplaced dependency—any wrong motive, wrong attitude, wrong action—anything that keeps us from being all that God wants us to be.

After the refiner painstakingly skims off these impurities, he then turns up the heat and places the crucible back into the blistering furnace. Again and again (up to seven times, we are told in historical literature) impurities rise to the surface. He knows that only certain impurities are released at certain temperatures.

Each time, with utmost skill and patience, the refiner removes the dross, leaving behind gleaming gold and shimmering silver . . . more pure and precious than before. To gauge his progress, the refiner looks for his own reflection on the surface of the silver-filled crucible. The more dross removed, the less distorted his reflection.

Only when the refiner looks into the crucible and sees a clear reflection of himself is the process complete. Finally, the silver attains its highest degree of purity! And that, describes our Refiner’s loving intentions for allowing us to be in the “furnace of affliction.” As we trust Him to use our trials to cleanse our character and purify our hearts, we will begin to see the “silver lining.” As Isaiah 48:10 says, “See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

University of Iowa Sophomore Jordan Bohannon walked to the free-throw line and nervously looked into the stands to make eye contact with his older brother, Zach. Bohannon was on the verge of breaking a record of 34 consecutive free throws that had stood for 25 years by a legendary Hawkeye, Chris Street. Everyone knew it would happen. Jordan had once hit 200 consecutive free throws in practice.

So, with 2:15 to go in the game and Iowa leading Northwestern 73-65, Jordan eyed the rim. Took his customary 4 dribbles. Bent his knees. And let it fly.

And missed…. On purpose! Yes, he intentionally short-armed it and the ball bounced off the front of the rim. Why? Bohannon told the Big Ten Network after the game “that’s not my record to have.” He said that it “deserves to stay in Street’s name.”

You see Chris Street was tragically killed in an automobile accident, January 19, 1993. Three days earlier he had made two free throws to make it 34 in a row. But never got a chance at number 35.

“Chris wasn’t just a Hawkeye,” according to the Des Moines Register and Iowa City Press-Citizen. “He was heart and he was hustle. He was Iowa, and he was a part of everyone sitting here today.”

So, Jordan, who had thought about doing this for quite a while, hoose to honor Street’s legacy by allowing his record to stand. “It was a touching tribute from one Iowa born Hawkeye to another,” wrote Chad Leistikow in the Des Moines Register.

Bohannon had become friends of Street’s parents, who are regular season ticket holders, and was present for the game. Patty Street said she was moved to tears by the gesture. “What a good kid. He’s so kind,” she said. “That was so special that he thought of Christopher and that record.”

Mike Street told people who asked leading up to this that he wanted Bohannon, a hard-working player like his son was, to break Chris’ mark. But he understood and treasured the tribute.

In an age of chest thumping, muscle flexing, finger pointing athletes constantly preening for the camera, this is a refreshing story. It reminds us that maybe not “all records are made to be broken.” As Jordan, who finished with 25 points, tweeted after the game “Life is much bigger than basketball.”

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

If your absence doesn’t affect them, your presence never mattered.

It isn’t necessary to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results.

Warren Buffett

Dead noses can’t smell roses, so we should be giving while we’re living so we we’ll be knowing where it’s going. Ken Whitten

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Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com.

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©2018 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618