Our New Logo (and why we chose it)

You may have noticed we have a new logo and look! We’ve been working with a local Indianapolis design company called Makers to roll out a new look for Nothing is Wasted Ministries. There is more to come including a massive website overhaul, but for now we wanted to give you a sneak peak at our new logo!

This is an anvil. Why did we choose an anvil as our logo? Let me tell you more . . .

Ever since my late wife, Amanda, was killed the sword has been a powerful image for me. I explain in more detail in this blog post.

A sword is a weapon that when wielded properly can claim territories, defend nations, and protect the defenseless. But if a warrior is going to use a sword in battle, he must ensure it is strong enough to endure the stress it will inevitably undergo. At the same time, it needs to be resilient enough to flex under strain and immediately return true.

Because of that, every sword goes through a careful shaping and refining process.

A blacksmith, or more specifically a swordsmith, whose trade is to shape metal, will put the sword in a fire that is heated to upwards of 2100 degrees Fahrenheit. The metal is then taken out of the fire, placed over an anvil and repeatedly struck with a hammer or mallet in order to shape it into a strong, durable weapon. 

If you were to personify feelings onto this sword, you could say it’s undergoing a lot of pain. Such intense heat and hammering cannot be comfortable for the sword. But without each of these things, the sword remains a mere hunk of metal that cannot be used. It remains purposeless. It must undergo some sort of forging “pain” in order to fulfill its destiny of becoming a weapon.

This same shaping process occurs in us when we undergo pain and hardship.

Many of us would agree the most trying times in our lives have also been the most developmental.

The old adage, “No Pain, No Gain,” seems trite to insert into seasons of life where senseless tragedies seem to overtake us. But I guess no matter the degree of the pain, the principle is still true.

In fact, I wonder if the degree of intensity of the pain you undergo directly correlates with the degree of impact your shaping process will eventually have on others.

Do you feel like your life is being hammered at every turn? Do you feel like you can’t catch a break at times? 

God doesn’t cause pain in our lives but for reasons we may never know on this side of eternity He does allow it. He allows the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy from one varying degree to another. I heard Joni Eareckson Tada once said on the Nothing is Wasted Podcast that God permits what He hates to accomplish what He loves. What does he hate? Brokenness, evil, pain, suffering. But what does he love? Redemption. 

I believe God is the greatest Jiu Jitsu artist of all time. Like a master of this martial art form, He turns the momentum of the opponent on itself. So while you may feel like the enemy is hammering your life, if you don’t let these things shake you, but instead let God shape you with them, our pain can be turned around for purpose. 

So what the enemy meant to discourage you, distract you, deter you, and destroy you, God uses to make you a dangerous weapon of love to push back darkness in this world.

Why did we choose an anvil as our logo? Very simply, we want to be a placeholder for God to do his shaping work in you. We want to be a safe place for you to listen, engage, respond, and grow through your trials. We want to be a place where you can find inspiring content, authentic community, and helpful coaching as you navigate your valleys. We want to be a place where you can discover purpose out of your pain and become a change agent in this world. The enemy doesn’t have to have the last word in your life. 

My dad sent me an excerpt to a poem when he found out about our logo. I thought I’d share it with you:

Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
When looking in, I saw upon the floor,
Old hammers worn with beating years of time.

"How many anvils have you had," said I,
"To wear and batter these hammers so?"
"Just one," said he; then with a twinkling eye,
"The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.”

Hold fast to The Lord in the midst of your trials, friends. The hammering will soon be over and you will step into your destiny, a tried and battle-ready warrior.