A couple of years back I purchased an old dresser at a thrift store and have intended on refinishing it ever since. Since then we have moved twice, had job changes and added a new little one to our family so I did not get to this project as I intended. I had started it a couple of times but before I could get too far into it something would always come up. So, today I gained the determination to tackle this project full force this time and boy did I!
It started out with the most hideous color of paint which I was thankful for when I purchased it. I have found that the uglier the paint on the outside the better the deal I get as the consumer. Being the person that I am and having the mind that God has blessed me with I can see the beauty of the finished project before I ever get started. Really, this is a huge part of the fun for me. Taking something that most would turn away from and turning it into something great that I can proudly display in my home.
Anyway, as I am sanding and scraping away I begin to realize how many layers of paint this dresser really has and as I sand and sand and sand some more layer after layer is revealed. All of the sudden I am working really hard to go from one layer to the next. I am going from one sheet of sand paper to another and finally it hits me at one point when I was taking a break what this dresser truly represents. It represents each one of us….
I stood back and looked at this completely hideous piece of furniture that was not in good shape at all, at least on the outside. It had scratches and scars, dings and dents, yet once I get it all sanded down and finished the end result will be a thing of beauty. That is exactly how God feels about us, the way that I felt about that dresser that day in the thrift store when I purchased it. I saw the finished project. I saw it sitting in my bedroom proudly displaying all my treasures. I never once thought of the crud and grime that I would have to go through to restore it to that thing of beauty and neither does God when he thinks about us. He doesn’t see us and think, wow, they really have messed up their life and it is going to take a long time to restore them to their original form I will just move along and find someone a little less messy. NO! He embraces us for who we are and what we have done. He believes in us and loves us regardless. We are the ones that make it complicated. We are the ones that keep adding the layers. How do I know this? Because I was once that person and to some extent still am.
When I finally figured out how badly God wanted to have a relationship with me I said, “Okay, but I am only going to show Him this layer. If I let Him go any deeper, He isn’t going to like what He finds.” Well, after I would reveal that layer to Him and still felt God’s love and grace I would think, “Wow, He is still here, maybe I can reveal a little at a time to Him but I certainly can’t reveal it all because he certainly won’t love me if he knows the whole story.” But guess what, He kept on loving me no matter what. The most amazing thing though, He kept on healing me. He keeps on healing my heart to this very day for the sins of my past and my present. He always meets me where I am at and He never turns away. It is I who shies away from Him in embarrassment. Then I always have to remind myself, what am I doing, He already knows and He has already forgiven! It is I who has not forgiven myself. My effort to “hide” anything is futile and really only a waste of time prolonging my healing process. But that is the human side of us making us forget what a big God we serve.
As I looked for scripture to provide encouragement to those who may be struggling with some of the things that I am I found so many that relayed this very message. It is overwhelming to me how many times God tells us and in how many different ways to cast our worries upon Him. If He really doesn’t mean it why would it be there so many times in His word? If this is something that you struggle with I pray that you can hand your worries over to the Lord. I pray that you don’t just give him your first layer or you 10th layer or even your 110th layer….give Him everything. Hand it over to him to heal and then allow Him to change others lives through you. God Bless.
Here is some scripture for your consideration:
Psalm 86:7
John 14;1
1 Peter 5:7
Psalm 37:7
Isaiah 49:13
Psalm 55:2
Psalm 46:1
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