Repurposed
One of my best high school friends just opened a quaint little shop where she and her daughter sell 'reclaimed' furniture. She has an eye for a treasure, and a creative flair to bring the discarded and unwanted back to life.
Just recently, my husband and I were helping our son clean out an old barn/garage at his 'new' home (probably built in the late 1800's). Most of what had been left, after years and years of tenants passing through on their journey of life, was labeled as junk and tossed into the huge pile of burning rubbish in the yard. (Hey, it's how we roll in the country! Don't judge!)
But there was this dresser sitting there, with a faux-marble top. Light wood. Nice drawer pulls. It was in good shape - except for the fact that the two top drawers were missing. I studied that dresser. Looked it up and down and my mind flashed to a photo I had seen on Pinterest of an old dresser-turned-entertainment-stand. Said dresser had been missing the two top drawers as well, but some creative genius (like my friend, Shannon) must have seen it and pondered how to repurpose it. Quite simply a board was installed where the drawers would have been, creating little cubby-hole shelves, perfect for a DVD player or the cable box. Drawers could be filled with games, remotes, movies, etc.
I told my son that I wanted the dresser. He and my husband looked at me like I was crazy, but after I explained about the Pinterest idea, my husband then agreed and the dresser found it's way into the bed of our pick-up truck. When we got home, the dresser went into the garage...and hasn't moved since. But, in my defense, my husband has been out of town, and it is too heavy for me to help my son take up the stairs to it's new home.
I love the whole concept of reclaiming and repurposing furniture and other throw-away items. And I love that Pinerest makes me privy to a plethora of great ideas! (My very own tongue twister!)
I must admit that God never misses an opportunity to reveal a truth to me - so here it is. This old dresser. Yep, that's me. And God is the creative genius who is studying me, seeing past all the dings and scratches, past the missing drawers (that sounds funny!) to see the beauty inside. He is the Master of reclaiming and repurposing.
Through my daily Bible study, God put an exclamation point on this lesson. Just yesterday, I read:
I scribbled a huge 'THANK YOU, JESUS!' in the margin of that page.
God has given gifts and talents to each of us and placed a calling on our lives to use them. But what happens when you stumble and fall so far from the place where you know you were meant to be, that you feel like God can't possibly use you anymore? You hang your head in shame, afraid to try, for fear of embarrassing God.
The good news is that we can't out-sin the grace of God! And He is waiting for us to let him turn our lives into something beautiful...and the best part: He knew, before we were formed in our mother's womb, that we would stumble and fall...so He planned in advance how to use that experience to glorify Himself! That brings me such relief and such joy!
1 Peter 5:10 says, "And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
I don't know about you, but I am ready for an extreme make-over! I am ready to be reclaimed and repurposed for a higher calling! It's time to forget what we used to be and let the God of all grace do a number on our lives!
There's a beautiful song that I have heard on the Christian radio station many times, but as I was cutting grass yesterday, with my headphones in, the song started to play and I really listened to the words, it was like I was hearing it for the first time. It spoke to me in a way I hadn't noticed before. I had to stop the mower and wipe the tears away. Rush of Fools sings it, and it's called "Undo". Listen closely to the words and see if you can relate.
Be blessed.
Just recently, my husband and I were helping our son clean out an old barn/garage at his 'new' home (probably built in the late 1800's). Most of what had been left, after years and years of tenants passing through on their journey of life, was labeled as junk and tossed into the huge pile of burning rubbish in the yard. (Hey, it's how we roll in the country! Don't judge!)
But there was this dresser sitting there, with a faux-marble top. Light wood. Nice drawer pulls. It was in good shape - except for the fact that the two top drawers were missing. I studied that dresser. Looked it up and down and my mind flashed to a photo I had seen on Pinterest of an old dresser-turned-entertainment-stand. Said dresser had been missing the two top drawers as well, but some creative genius (like my friend, Shannon) must have seen it and pondered how to repurpose it. Quite simply a board was installed where the drawers would have been, creating little cubby-hole shelves, perfect for a DVD player or the cable box. Drawers could be filled with games, remotes, movies, etc. I told my son that I wanted the dresser. He and my husband looked at me like I was crazy, but after I explained about the Pinterest idea, my husband then agreed and the dresser found it's way into the bed of our pick-up truck. When we got home, the dresser went into the garage...and hasn't moved since. But, in my defense, my husband has been out of town, and it is too heavy for me to help my son take up the stairs to it's new home.
I love the whole concept of reclaiming and repurposing furniture and other throw-away items. And I love that Pinerest makes me privy to a plethora of great ideas! (My very own tongue twister!)
I must admit that God never misses an opportunity to reveal a truth to me - so here it is. This old dresser. Yep, that's me. And God is the creative genius who is studying me, seeing past all the dings and scratches, past the missing drawers (that sounds funny!) to see the beauty inside. He is the Master of reclaiming and repurposing.
Through my daily Bible study, God put an exclamation point on this lesson. Just yesterday, I read:
"Maybe you feel like God prepared something for you and placed it in your hands, then you dropped it. The spilling doesn't have to end your story. God can do something far more personal than repair your calling. He can repair you. God mends our pasts to tend to our futures." (Beth Moore, Children of the Day)
I scribbled a huge 'THANK YOU, JESUS!' in the margin of that page.
God has given gifts and talents to each of us and placed a calling on our lives to use them. But what happens when you stumble and fall so far from the place where you know you were meant to be, that you feel like God can't possibly use you anymore? You hang your head in shame, afraid to try, for fear of embarrassing God.
The good news is that we can't out-sin the grace of God! And He is waiting for us to let him turn our lives into something beautiful...and the best part: He knew, before we were formed in our mother's womb, that we would stumble and fall...so He planned in advance how to use that experience to glorify Himself! That brings me such relief and such joy!
1 Peter 5:10 says, "And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
I don't know about you, but I am ready for an extreme make-over! I am ready to be reclaimed and repurposed for a higher calling! It's time to forget what we used to be and let the God of all grace do a number on our lives!
There's a beautiful song that I have heard on the Christian radio station many times, but as I was cutting grass yesterday, with my headphones in, the song started to play and I really listened to the words, it was like I was hearing it for the first time. It spoke to me in a way I hadn't noticed before. I had to stop the mower and wipe the tears away. Rush of Fools sings it, and it's called "Undo". Listen closely to the words and see if you can relate.
Be blessed.
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