The hammer holds

I was early with my Valentine's Day post, so here are some words of encouragement, courtesy of Bebo Norman. This song played repeatedly in my CD player when I was an young Christian, but I am still being molded and shaped by the Maker, always waiting to see what he has for me next.
That shaping can often feel like hammering, leaving us in pain and wondering why we had to experience the latest trial. But as we continue to walk with God, the pain of that shaping is subdued as we begin to understand that all that hammering and the burning flames were transforming us into something different, with a new purpose.
I have to realize it is not always for me to know what comes next, but to rest in the fact that God is in control. Easier said than done.
And if you like this song, check out Bebo's early stuff, especially Ten Thousand Days.

A shapeless piece of steel, that's all I claim to be
This hammer pounds to give me form, this flame, it melts my dreams
I glow with fire and fury, as I'm twisted like a vine
My final shape, my final form I'm sure I'm bound to find

So dream a little, dream for me in hopes that I'll remain
And cry a little, cry for me so I can bear the flames
And hurt a little, hurt for me my future is untold
But my dreams are not the issue here, for they, the hammer holds

And the water, it cools me gray, and the hurt's subdued somehow
I have my shape, this sharpened point, what is my purpose now?
And the question still remains, what am I to be?
Perhaps some perfect piece of art displayed for all to see

So dream a little, dream for me in hopes that I'll remain
And cry a little, cry for me so I can bear the flames
And hurt a little, hurt for me my future is untold
But my dreams are not the issue here, for they, the hammer holds

The hammer pounds again, but flames I do not feel
This force that drives me, helplessly, through flesh, and wood reveals
A burn that burns much deeper, it's more than I can stand
The reason for my life was to take the life of a guiltless man

So dream a little, dream for me in hopes that I'll remain
And cry a little, cry for me so I can bear the pain
And hurt a little, hurt for me, my future is so bold
But my dreams are not the issue here, for they, the hammer holds

This task before me may seem unclear
But it, my maker holds