Restoration

The following is a story of trash to treasure:

Recently, we were given an old bookcase found by a friend in our neighborhood. It came to us in pretty bad shape, but with a little TLC and a few coats of paint, we thought it would be perfect for our school room.





Lots of old, yucky paint to chip away. Then, much sanding will need to be done to make a smooth finish.

After assessing the situation and discovering the beauty and potential that existed in this old, thrown-out bookshelf, the crew went to work.







First the wiping down, getting off all the dust and grime. Then the chipping away- this part is by far the most difficult. Pretty cute, crew, though, huh? :)

Then, the clean-up begins of the mess left behind...


Then follows a period of rest, in which time a choice color of paint is found (Hot Dog Blue to be exact!!)

And the beautiful painting begins...










And now this once piece of trash is now a restored treasure for our family to hold our small library of books for homeschool and personal enjoyment.

This may seem like a simple project for a dad and his kids, but for me it has much greater significance.

I know what trash I have been. I know the layers of old yucky grime that needs to be stripped away. I can see the mess that I leave behind.

And yet day in and day out, I have a loving, kind, compassionate Father that loves me. He has washed me clean once and for all, with the death of His Son on a cross over two thousand years ago.

And today, he chisels away at my core, getting rid of the junk that has crept in since that initial washing 11 years ago this month. He chips and chips and then He rests. He prepares me for the paint- the beautiful paint that is part of a picture so big it is beyond my imagination, but not His.

There are many examples in the Bible of Jesus restoring health in the sick, sight in the blind, life in the dead, and physical abilities in the disabled.

In my life, Jesus Christ has restored me from dead to living. Daily, as I decide to follow Christ, deny myself of my fleshly desires, die to these desires and live for Him, and demonstrate my devotion to Him through these things, He restores me, He changes me, He carves away at me and forms me into who He created me to be.

As this bookshelf is an example of a piece of trash restored; I am an example of a worthless life restored. In Jesus Christ I have become priceless, yet bought for a price far too high.

May you search your life, seek your Restorer today, and become restored.