Meet my son, Rory, and his fiance, Holly. (I know, they’re adorable, right?)
Okay, now see that unidentifiable piece of furniture next to them in the photo? That is something they picked up at a yard sale recently. (They told us it was a desk). College students on a tight budget and a limited income, their source of entertainment lately (aside from planning their wedding this fall)? Estate sale shopping!
Oh, but this story is NOT about them. It’s about ALL of us. Yup – You, me, and them too… That’s right – ALL of us.
A couple of weeks ago, they dragged that thing out of Holly’s garage. And they began stripping off the old finish. One night Rory told me that he didn’t think it was EVER going to come off – He said it was just in too bad of shape. (I promised him it would).
After the finish came off, they began sanding.
Rory and Holly put a lot of “elbow grease” into transforming that piece of furniture – That almost unidentifiable piece of furniture that no doubt, someone else was quick to write off and count as rubbish. Perhaps it had stains on it that they didn’t want to put the time or effort into fixing. Maybe they just wanted something newer, more contemporary. Maybe they just didn’t see it’s worth any longer, or could not imagine what it could be transformed into with a bit of effort.
But, isn’t that how we see people sometimes? Or maybe even how we see ourselves now and then?
How easy it is to point out the water stain left on a wooden piece of furniture – Or to point out someone else’s past mistakes (or current ones) to others….
We “write people off” because we don’t think they are worthy of our friendship, our time, or even our effort to forgive them (or BE forgiven BY them) – JUST like the owner of this desk was swift to add it to their estate sale – no longer worth keeping.
And there are times in all of our lives when we see ourselves like an old piece of furniture – something not worth keeping, and certainly not anything that could POSSIBLY be used for anything good.
But God NEVER writes us off. And He ALWAYS sees the end product. And He rolls up his sleeves, and He starts stripping us of the old tarnished, caked on “gunk.” Then he waits. When we are ready, He begins to sand us. Lots of dust goes flying and anyone close is forced to wear a mask for protection. Then He waits again. Then the varnish goes on, and we begin to shine. He doesn’t stop until HE is finished with us. He doesn’t quit when WE would quit, nor when someone ELSE thinks He ought! No! He doesn’t walk away! He keeps working on us, stripping, sanding, buffing, polishing, until HE decides!
Philippians 1:6 says, …..”being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Have you given up on yourself? God sees the worth in you!
Are you allowing Him to strip you? Sand you? Polish you? It might be painful, but it will be worth it. He sees who He created you to be!
Have YOU written someone off? Do you only see the stains? The worthlessness? Have YOU given up on someone? Not extended forgiveness? Not ASKED for forgiveness?
It’s time we started trying to see people the way that Our Father does. God knows, I probably needed this blog more than anyone. When my son forwarded me these photos, my heart nearly stopped.
And if yours did too? Just know – He’s NOT finished with you yet. Nor should YOU be – with that person on whom you only see the stain……
Check out this finished product………….. Yeah, pretty sweet, huh?
The desk is very nice, But not as fulfilling as the message in words.