September 15, 2008
Refinished and Restored
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)
Friend to Friend
When I was in my late teens, I had an unusual fetish for old, beat-up, antique furniture. While most of my friends were at the malls shopping for clothes, I was at estate sales, flea markets, yard sales, and auctions hunting for antiques. Often when I brought my purchases home, my family would roll their eyes in disgust and say, "I can't believe you paid money for that dirty piece of junk." But I never saw my purchases as junk. They just needed a little work … OK, a lot of work.
At one estate sale, I spied a little drop-leaf kitchen table with three spindle-back chairs. I could just imagine a sweet little older lady spending many years sitting at that very table drinking her morning coffee or perhaps her afternoon tea. I could almost hear the faint whispers of thousands of conversations from generations past. The set was painted a hospital green, but I saw that it had great potential. Obviously the other bidders didn't see the table's great potential, because ten minutes and $35 later, the set was mine. I was sure I had saved the table and chairs from becoming kindling for someone's fire.
I brought the dinette set home, all excited about my great buy, but couldn't understand why no one else shared my enthusiasm.
"Sharon, do you realize how much time and energy it is going to take to make that old green rickety table look even slightly presentable?" they asked. At that point in my life, I had a lot more time than money, so the time wasn't a problem.
Refinishing furniture is a dirty, grueling task, and refinishing this table and chairs was no exception. First, I stripped off the paint with paint remover, which not only removes paint but eats through latex gloves and layers of skin. I discovered that not only had the table been green, it had also been blue, and before that white. But underneath it all, was pure walnut!
The paint remover raised the grain of the wood, so I had to go back and sand it smooth. If the sanding isn't done well, the finished product will always be a little rough. A few joints had come loose from wear and tear, and I had to glue them back together. Then I applied a warm walnut stain which deepened its color and made the beautiful pattern of the wood grain stand out. Finally, I applied polyurethane to seal and protect the piece.
As I worked, I began to think of the old broken table as a symbol of my own life. I was also on the auction block, and God paid a price for me with His precious blood. I was saved from someone’s fire. I had layers and layers of old self that hid the beauty of what God had created me to be. These layers had to be stripped off by crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires . This raised my grain, but God sanded me with life experiences and trials. God glued my loose joints and mended my broken pieces, for He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. Also, God put a sealer not only on me but in me, the Holy Spirit, which is given to me as a seal and a promise.
I sat in the garage looking at my finished work and thinking about all God had done for me. My mom opened the door, looked at the old table, and said, "I never thought something so ugly could turn out to be so beautiful."
I said, "Amen."
Let’s Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, I am so amazed that You paid such a high price for me. While others thought of me as just a throw away person, You knew different. You saw what I could be if I trusted in You. Thank You for seeing past the dirt and transforming me into a spiritually beautiful creature of unique design.
Now It’s Your Turn
I think attics are amazing places to visit. Is there something tucked away in your attic or other storage place that is a treasure to you, but trash to someone else?
What about that item makes it special?
Do you realize just how special you are to God? You are His priceless treasure. Walk in that assurance today!
More from the Girlfriends
So many Christians are living in defeat because they don’t understand the dramatic change that occurred the moment they believed in Jesus. If you would like to learn more about who you are in Christ, what you have in Christ, and where you are in Christ, see Sharon’s book, Experience the Ultimate Makeover and begin the journey of discovering your beauty in Christ.
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Originally published Monday, 15 September 2008.