There hasn’t been one trip down to my basement in the last five years that I haven’t regretted not painting over the Pepto Bismol pink walls. But I just couldn’t paint them after my granddaughter pleaded with me, “But Gummy! Pink is my FAVORITE color!”
So, yep, the walls are still pink.
But it’s time. It’s time to get rid of the pink walls.
So I began a few weeks ago at the first of the four walls, and started moving everything away from it. That meant going through books so that I could manage to pull the shelves away from the wall, which led to meticulously going through all of my books, which led to giving quite a few away, and you know – once I start giving things away, I just can’t seem to stop.
Then I started at wall #2, and gave away a ton of kitchen items I have not used in five years, clothes I haven’t worn in five years, and on to wall #3 and #4, and before you know it, approximately 1/3 of my basement “stuff” has been thrown or given away. It is VERY therapeutic to purge!
I’ve gone through and reminisced over all sorts of gifts and photos, some decades old with cherished stories attached to them. It’s been quite a process, and the painting will soon begin. I can’t wait!
Do you know the best part about working down there in the basement? I lose track of time. I don’t get hungry, and then I forget to eat. I’m not constantly looking at my phone and answering text messages. I get to talk out loud to God – not unusual for a person who lives alone, but it’s been constant over the last few weeks. It’s been a lot of work, but also a very sweet time, and He is allowing me to see how He has always provided for me, from the roof over my head to the friendships that will forever be etched into my heart. And I can’t help but always go back to the early days of being a divorced mom of a newborn and a 2-year-old, convinced I’d never own a home, and constantly worried about how I’d survive.
It is just good to get down into the basement and be reminded of not only the big ways, but the little ones as well that God uses to shape us. And the people – the ones He has brought into my life for a season, and those He has brought for a lifetime – both have been so valuable to me. Sometimes, He has brought people to provide a good example, and other times He has allowed people into my life to provide a really good example of a bad example. Nothing wasted, and all of it purposeful – ALL of it.
Rosalino “Rosie” Defiesta, his staple remover, his kindness and his friendship.
Gina Ammaan, my upstairs neighbor in Berlin, who gave me the cutest little bud vase, her hospitality and her friendship.
My Polish pottery bell from the trunk of someone’s East German Trabi car at 4 a.m. down by the Brandenburg gate, and running back to the double-decker bus with Misty. But I mostly remember Misty’s cheerfulness and how fun she was – it was a good friendship.
My Polish crystal cookie jar that a young German gal filled with homemade cookies for Rory, and wrapped it really tight with tape, and rode a good distance to bring them on his first birthday in the basket of her bicycle. I remember Ingrid’s friendship, her thoughtfulness, and her love for my son.
Hand-sewn flowers just for me, in a vase from a young gal I met in Brazil who had been rescued from sex trafficking. I remember Lucinea’s humility, and her friendship.
Bins and bins of photos and crafts the boys made in grade school…
And the list goes on and on.
I still hate my Pepto Bismol pink walls with every trip down the stairs, but I sure have enjoyed the time down here being reminded of my blessings. If you’re reading this – it’s very likely you’ve been one of them.
The Lord has used this time to remind me of all the ways He has provided for me, sometimes in the most subtle of ways but the loveliest of people. If you can’t reach me in the days to come – it’s because I’m still downstairs. The pink walls will soon be gone, but the transformation of my basement is going to be fun. Stay tuned.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Matthew 6:25
Don’t paint the pink walls. May they always remind you of that grandchild