“It is God who is at work in you,” Paul tells us in our epistle lesson. The transforming hand of God is at work in our hearts changing us from being like the rebellious son in Jesus’ parable who says, “I will not,” to one who goes to work in the vineyard, who does the will of the father after all. It is God who heals our rebellious tendencies and brings us to wholeness and holiness, into intimate relationship with the Divine.

I know that is true in my own life. Years ago, I thought my way was THE way, and if everyone else would agree and cooperate, all would be well. I thought it was up to me to be in control or it would all fall apart. Then one day, in spite of all I could do, it did fall apart, and I was led to offer it all to God in total surrender. From that day forward, I have been aware of God’s redeeming work going on in my life. Of course, it had been there all those years before, as well, but I had been unaware of God’s intimate presence readying me for that day. I wasn’t a completely different person the next day or even the next year, but after ten years I could look back and see how different I had become. And now, after thirty plus years, I know the person I am today is not the result of anything I have done on my own, but of God’s continuous transforming work in my life, body, mind, spirit, one day at a time, one step at a time, as I have been ready to receive.

I am awed and outrageously grateful for God’s persevering diligence because I know the truth expressed by John Donne in his poem “A Hymn to God the Father” where he says, “When Thou hast done, Thou has not done, for I have more.” That old bumper sticker: “Please be patient with me. God is not finished with me yet,” says it well for me and, I suspect, for all of us. As long as we are in this life, we will fall short of the glory of God and need to rely on God’s steadfast love and mercy to bring forth from within the imago dei we were created to be, “enabling us to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Your story of transformation is, no doubt, different from mine in the details, but the threads of God’s grace running through the warp and woof of our lives are recognizable as shimmers of gold brightening every dark experience we have encountered on the way.