This is the Rondanini Pieta in Milan. This marble sculpture is the last great unfinished work by Michelangelo. He worked on it up until a week before his death in 1564. There is debate about whether it was left unfinished intentionally or due to his declining health. This was his last Pieta.
Michelangelo is famous for his first Pieta sculpture which is housed in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Here is a photo for comparison:
Quite a difference in sculptures isn't there? Both done by the same artist. The St. Peter's Pieta was carved in 1498-1499 and is the first Pieta he ever carved. People travel from all over the world to view this sculptural piece. It is beautifully done. A complete work. Amazing to see! It is intricate and detailed.
What is interesting is when you contrast the two pieces, the last one is more minimalistic. Unfinished, and yet it still draws you in. Even in it's rough state, the emotion carries. It's hard to believe that the emotional impact could be any greater if the piece had been finished. One art critic is quoted as saying,
"The elongated rough-hewn figures of Mary and Jesus create an extraordinary impression. On the basis of Michelangelo's late style and his spiritual conversion, it would seem that the rough surface, glowing softly with light and shadow, fulfilled his purposes in a way that no polished and perfected statue could ever have."
In Michelangelo's last days his desire for oneness with God is the inspiration for the Rondanini Pieta and what drives him to create a Pieta more meaningful and magnificent than the Pieta that rests in St. Peter's Basilica.
On his deathbed, Michelangelo said:
"I regret that I have not done enough for the salvation of my soul and that I am dying just as I am beginning to learn the alphabet of my profession."
By all accounts, Michelangelo was sad that he had left what he considered his greatest Pieta unfinished.
But here is what is amazing about this whole story. The Rondanini Pieta is as well known, as well studied, and as well revered and well liked as his first, finished Pieta. In fact, there are many who prefer the unfinished work, saying that it conveys more emotion. That the unfinished work better conveys the meaning of Christ's death and resurrection.
Ok, here is the part where I ask you to make the leap with me... to apply this to life today. And I am going to do it by sharing with you some personal events that have recently happened in my life. However, before doing this, I ask that you are respectful of what I am about to share because it is deeply personal, and it involves real people and real feelings. Please do not use this story in a way that is disrespectful to those involved.
This is story about the hopes, dreams, and wishes that every parent has for their children. And how beautiful it can be when those hopes and dreams change into something new and different and scary and beautiful.
Much like Michelangelo and his sculptures, I had a dream for my son-- of how he would be someday, of the finished result. In this dream, the finished sculpture of my son would involve the use of various tools with which he would be molded and chiseled and pieced together. I think all parents look at their children with this vision of the future. It is what guides our decisions involving our children. This vision of the finished product is why we choose how we represent our values, of where we place the importance of things such as God, family, school, sports, etc.
Part of the vision I had for my son was that he would go to a traditional college program and end up with a degree and a career that he would find fulfilling and that would provide for him and hopefully for his future family. It looked like this was on track to happen. There were a few wobbles here and there, but we had Keagan safely enrolled at a great College. Life was pretty much tracking in what I perceived to be the right direction. And then, there came a phone call from my son in February that threw everything off track. Keagan was desperately unhappy. He was struggling with finding a vision for his life. He was considering what I perceived as drastic and disastrous action.
When my husband and I received this phone call, we tried to be calm and helpful. We tried to help him see that he wasn't "stuck" but had other, better options (better than the options he was considering) in front of him. And while we talked to him and prayed with and over him, we tried very hard to simply keep the lines of communication moving forward. But, deep in my heart, I felt my chisel slip. You know, the metaphoric chisel that I had used all of his life to help sculpt and mold Keagan closer to my vision of the finished product. And I started to look at this sculpture in front of me, and it wasn't looking exactly like I had envisioned. And that was a hard moment. And it brought with it all of those hard, imperfect feelings of doubt, fear, anger, hurt, disappointment (not in my son, in myself), and pain. It was like the chisel had slipped and in the process cut into my flesh and left a wound.
And one night, while we were still deep in the hard conversations with our son about the next step, when I couldn't sleep, I felt God so strongly say to me that he needed his chisel back and that I needed to hand it back over to him. Not exactly in that way-- but that was the essence of the conversation taking place in my heart. You see, I had forgotten something important in the midst of the crisis. When Keagan was just a baby, we had a dedication ceremony where we dedicated him to God. We, Jeff and I, had stood up with family and friends before God and recognized publicly that God was the one who was going to sculpt and mold our son into what God wanted him to be. We handed him over to God, trusting that God would give us the wisdom we needed to help mold him into His (God's) vision. And that in this moment, I was trying to wrest that chisel out of God's hand so that I could use it to sculpt and mold my son into my vision of the finished product.
I wish I could honestly say that after that night I handed the chisel back to God and never tried to lay a hand on it again. But no, unfortunately my personality type has always had a bit of "I'll do it myself" to it, and I've caught my hands reaching out to take the chisel several more times. And yet, each time I do it, it gets easier and easier for me to recognize what I am doing and to turn it loose.
And the even more amazing thing is, each time I find myself turning the chisel loose, God shows up in ways that just blow my mind! He takes his chisel and adds a stroke to the sculpture of my son that amazes and stuns me with it's beauty.
My son ended up joining the Air Force. He wants to work on Aerospace Propulsion Systems and the Air Force offers the best way to get the training and experience in that field. So, we shaved off his hair and he is currently at Basic Training running towards the vision that God has for him. In order to encourage you let me share with you all the ways in which God has moved to make this new, changing vision of my son beautiful:
1. Before any of this was even a thought for our family, he made a way for Keagan to take the ASVAB test-- which is a test the military uses for placement. Most people who take the test study for it just like you would study for the ACT college placement exam. Keagan, with no study, no prep whatsoever, took the test and scored in the top 2% in the nation for those who take the test. BUT God....
2. God opened Keagan's ears to those who brought him good and wise counsel and removed those from his life who didn't. He surrounded my son with good people, including leading my husband to a local recruiter who helped process my son into the MEPS (the physical process you have to undergo to see if you even qualify) program with 4 days notice. 4 Days!!! Amazing! But God....
3. He provided my son with a contract that guarantees him training and a job in Aerospace Propulsion Systems. When he decided to sign up for the Air Force, he was told that the job of Aerospace Propulsions required a high score on the ASVAB (which he had) but wasn't guaranteed to him unless an opening became available. These positions did not become available very often. He was told that they would place him in some sort of related mechanical field, but that particular position probably wouldn't be guaranteed. As Keagan was getting ready to fill out the last of his paperwork before swearing in, there still wasn't an aerospace propulsions systems opening. As Keagan was filling out the last form, a sergeant came out and pulled him quickly into his office. ONE Aerospace Propulsions Systems job had become available and they signed Keagan to it right there. Afterwards, when talking to various recruiters and officers, they were all amazed. We have been told time and time again that this never happens. EVER! But God.....
4. We were thankful and grateful for Keagan getting the position he wanted, however, Keagan's ship out date meant that he would not be able to finish his spring semester at college. I went with Keagan to help him pack up his dorm and get everything settled with the college, and I have to say that I did this with a somewhat heavy heart. It was all moving so fast....and we knew that he was past the official withdrawal deadline. We knew that this meant that he would have F's on his transcript for his spring semester (it's hard to miss finals and the last month of Spring classes and get a passing grade-- wasn't going to happen). However, having worked at a University for years, I insisted that Keagan meet with his counselor and give her notice of withdrawal anyway, just to at least have that on his transcript record. His counselor had us apply for Keagan to receive a military withdrawal-- even though we were way past deadlines. So we did. And guess what? BUT God!!!! Keagan was allowed military withdrawal-- which means his record for spring will show military withdrawal-- no F's... and he will still be in good academic standing with the university. Amazing!
5. And then one of the biggest, unexpected but God moments happened just this week. Jeff and I knew that the money we spent on Keagan's spring semester was gone. It had already been paid. Even with a withdrawal, you don't get your money back. Plus, he had attended half of the semester. So, we had just let it go and we were moving forward. But on Monday, I received a check in the mail that refunded a large portion of the tuition for Spring semester. The reason listed? Military withdrawal with ship out date before the end of the semester. BUT God!!!!!
So... I say all this to encourage all of you who may find that your vision of how life is supposed to look isn't meeting your expectations. Maybe things are not going how you thought they would go. Maybe the sculpture isn't looking anything like what you had envisioned. Let me encourage you to turn your chisel over to God, and stand back. Wait and see... see the vision that God has.
I have had the privilege to see both of the sculptures mentioned above in person. In fact, those are my own photos of the pieces. And while at one point in my life I may have been more drawn to the the finished Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica, this year, I am looking at the Rondanini Pieta with fresh eyes. And I am appreciating the raw beauty to be found in this unfinished work.
Keagan's sculpture right now still looks a lot like the Rondanini Pieta-- unfinished-- and yet, even unfinished, I can see the the beauty of the vision the master has... slowly taking shape... slowly appearing in new and beautiful strokes. The But God moments showing up in ways that are unplanned by me, but more stunning than anything I could have ever created on my own. Keagan still has a lot to go through.. Basic Training will be a hard process... but I can't wait to see what is revealed at the end. Have a good week!!!!!!
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future." Jeremiah 29:11
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