Friday Foto #55

Let me guess—you’re thinking “well DUH, it’s a guitar—big shocker coming from you.” Am I right? Well it is a guitar, but it is only part of one, which is the body. This weeks Friday Foto was taken at the Paul Reed Smith Experience 09 event back in September, while on the factory tour. This body has been CNC’d for shape and cavities that will hold its pickups and electronics and is in the beginning stages of sanding and finish work.

Recently when going back through my photos of that event, I came across this shot and suddenly related a guitar in its initial stage of production and finish work to being a believer in Christ. Let me guess—you’re thinking “now that is a stretch don’t you think?” Well, maybe, maybe not. You see after a guitar gets to this point, it has to go through several stages of sanding, to get all the imperfections and rough spots out of the wood, so it can progress on to the next department which is being stained or painted into something beautiful which a glorious shine on it. After that comes final assembly, where this once rough piece of wood becomes an electrifying work of art, built by hands for many to enjoy.

And so are we as we journey through our life in this world. As we grow and mature (hopefully) in life, we go through sanctification, which is similar to that whole sanding process, because God takes us through lots of purification tests etc., to prepare us for what we were really made for—eternity with Him. When we leave this world and meet Him, we will become bright and glorious works of art, shining brightly as we were created to do when by the work of His hands (so to speak, to keep the analogy going), we were handcrafted into what we will spend eternity being. We will no longer have any rough edges that need sanding. We will not have to worry about parts not working just right or needing adjustments in anyway. We will be perfect, radiant, and we will sing and make beautiful music, just like this guitar will, or probably has by now, in the hands of a most excited guitar player.

This guitar is a product of the workmanship of many craftsmen who work at PRS, and they are amazing in the quality of instruments they produce. And likewise, we are a product of Gods workmanship, created to do good things while here on earth. Sometimes for me that means cranking up a PRS making a joyful noise.