Massive blocks of marble stood in the gallery. Many of them were completed statues.

Others were works in progress, some forever in that state as they had been abandoned due to the death of the artist.

The incomplete ones were described to us as figures trapped in the marble, waiting to emerge.

I found it fascinating that an artist would envision the finished work inside of the stone and then chip away all the parts that were unnecessary in order to achieve this vision.

Like those unfinished statues, I too am a work in progress. My full potential is still emerging.

Sometimes the chipping away of parts that are ingrained like stone proves painful. Once the self-doubts are taken away, it is necessary for me to step out of my fears and move forward. Each step I take gives me the confidence to take the next one.

More stone is chipped away and I feel lighter. My movements, once tentative, become more fluid. My eyes see things I’d missed. My ears rejoice at an abundance of sounds. My mind is open to new possibilities.

Scripture tells me, “He who has begun a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” I have confidence that God, the Master Artist, will not abandon me or the work He is doing in me.

Every day more of the real me is emerging and I’m excited to see who I am becoming.