• About
  • Books I’m Reading
  • Links

Reflections of a Lay Catholic

Reflections of a Lay Catholic

Tag Archives: Proverbs 27:17

Proverbs 27:17 – Iron Sharpens Iron as One Person Sharpens Another

05 Wednesday Oct 2022

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Christian Community, Friendship, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Christ Renews His Parish, Iron Sharpens Iron, Proverbs 27:17, Welcome

Today’s guest author is my good friend, Bob Magness.  Bob contributed Random Musings on a Spring Morning back in April. I love the way he assembles his thoughts and turns them into prose.  When I read his words I can hear him saying them in his baritone voice as though he were right here beside me.  

I first met Bob in April 2012 when I attended a Christ Renews His Parish retreat weekend (now called WELCOME) that transformed my life and led to my conversion.  Bob was one of the men who took me under their wing and taught me much about my faith.  He continues to do that today.  We just participated together on another WELCOME weekend.  As always, the experience was phenomenal and we received so many graces!  Two of these Bob put into words and he’s allowing me to share them with you.  The first is below and the second will be published tomorrow.  I’m sure Bob would appreciate any comments you have to offer.  

Sharpening Knives

by Bob Magness

For the last six months I’ve had the privilege of being a part of a Welcome team at our parish.  The process was not new to me – weekly meetings to form each other spiritually with the purpose of delivering a retreat weekend to another group of men that would bring them closer to Christ. 

I had been a part of this process a couple times before and I had seen the positive power of a good team and the destructive nature of a bad team.  Any apprehension I may have had was quickly dismissed as the team gelled almost immediately.  Five minutes into that first meeting and I could tell this team had something special.  Fifteen men: some who were friends, some just acquaintances, and some who had just met.  

It’s amazing what happens when a group gets together with a willingness to speak and to listen.  Maybe the best way to describe those conversations: life – just talking about life – what’s important, what needs addressed, what we can build off of, what we can celebrate, and above all, how we’ve seen God working in our lives. Being a part of this team was an absolute blessing.

We have a tradition in our parish that each Giving Team creates a banner that best describes the Team’s journey.  I had the honor of presenting our banner and explaining its significance to the men of the Receiving Team:  

Proverbs 27: 17- Iron Sharpens Iron as One Person Sharpens Another

Dull knives are dangerous not because they don’t cut.  They’re dangerous because they’re inefficient.  And that inefficiency leads to mistakes.  Those mistakes can be dangerous.  

To sharpen a knife, you need to expose a new edge.  This is usually done by grinding the old blunt steel against something harder than itself.  First one side and then the other until they form a new sharp cutting edge.  That newly exposed edge is then honed by repetition.  Honing takes care of any burrs.

For the last six months, we’ve met as a Team to find that new edge.  We started as strangers.  We talked as true friends.  We supported one another.  We challenged each other.  Grinding, polishing, honing… We prayed for truth, for wisdom, for each other.  Once strangers and now Brothers.  

Iron sharpens Iron.

It’s a continuous process, even the best knife goes dull without proper care.  Keep it clean, hone it, keep it sharp.

Dull knives are dangerous. 

______________________________

(Proverbs 27:17 – Iron Sharpens Iron as One Person Sharpens Another was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2022 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

Advertisement

As Iron Sharpens Iron

20 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Christian Community

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Christian Community, Faith, Friendship, Iron Sharpens Iron, Love, Proverbs 27:17

As-Iron-Sharpens-Iron-924x3501

It’s just another day but I have the privilege of adding one number to the age I was yesterday. As Jimmy Buffet would say, I’ve made “one more trip around the sun.”

Birthdays have taken on a new meaning for me over the last few years. My birthday now serves to remind me of not just how old I am, but how long I’ve accepted Christ Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Four years and five days ago marks the event during which I came to know Him. My life hasn’t been the same since.

I was especially reminded of His love and the love of my fellow Christians today when I read the dozens of birthday well-wishes I received through Facebook and emails (I’m away from home on business so if I received any cards at home via regular mail, I don’t know of them yet). Disregarding the whole concept of “Facebook friends”, I was struck by the realization that four years and six days ago I could count my true close friends on both hands plus a few extra fingers. Since then, that number has grown exponentially to hundreds of men and women whom I love and who I know love me – men and women who, because of our love for the Father, I now call Brothers and Sisters. They helped drive that realization home by their sincere desires for God’s blessings to be bestowed upon me today. Wow, I know I am truly blessed!

Dear friends, through your examples, you have enriched my life. I am reminded of Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” I am still on the dull side, but by allowing me to learn from you, you are helping to hone me into the person Christ wants me to be. Your faith and your actions have allowed me to see Jesus in you and brought me closer to Him. I can only hope you can say the same about me.

God Bless you all.

 

(As Iron Sharpens Iron was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2016 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 251 other subscribers

Recent Posts

  • Have Faith and Possess Life
  • From the Archives: Be Like Pope Saint Fabian
  • The Sabbath Was Made For Man
  • Follow The Star!
  • Five Words

Categories

Top Posts & Pages

  • The Anti-Beatitudes
  • A Sedevacantist Catholic Church in Lebanon, OH
  • Have Faith and Possess Life
  • Pope warns against lukewarm faith with personal story :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)
  • How to Make a Thorough Examination of Conscience - Part 1: The "Checklist" Method

Archives

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • November 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

©2013 – 2023 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Reflections of a Lay Catholic
    • Join 227 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Reflections of a Lay Catholic
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...