Since then I’ve added four chairs to my purchase. Chairs that are distinctly different in character that will all be painted the same, the cushions covered with the same fabric so that when they are placed around the table they will all belong. People will then have a place to gather around my table for food and fellowship. But that’s not the subject of this post.
This weekend I’ve spent most of my time and energy sanding the old paint off the table and chairs and I’ve begun repainting the table and two of the chairs an inviting “Mint Shake” color. My kitchen ensemble is taking shape!
It’s hard work. Sanding off old paint and in some cases varnish that’s been there for years doesn’t come off easily. I really had to work at it. Sometimes I needed to use abrasive sandpaper because the varnish was thick or the dents ran deeper than I thought. Other times, fine sandpaper and a lot of elbow grease took off the old, chipped paint. But regardless, I worked up a sweat. I got tired. And honestly, it wasn’t much fun.
It was more fun putting the fresh paint on. Seeing the old furniture come to life – looking just the way I imagined it would look made all the hard sanding and prep work worth it. The finished product looks completely different than the old, tired furniture did. It’s fresh and new. My table and chairs have come back to life.
Working away in the hot garage this weekend, I saw the irony of my work. It dawned on me that my work this weekend is what God’s been doing in my life these last six months. He’s been sanding away at the worn out, chipped and ugly places in my life that need new life. At times it has felt a bit abrasive. It hasn’t been fun. But, I see now that God had to get rid of a bunch of old stuff that I was hanging on to. He needed to smooth away some pretty deep dents. I had some damage that needed sanding away. Like my table and chairs, I look different than when God first started too. I've come back to life.
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