A few weeks ago, I spotted a very interesting chair,sitting alongside my neighbor's large trash receptacle. They had recently moved and every day it seemed someone was pulling up and taking their pick of the various and sundry items left behind. First to go wa a gently used entertainment center. Other smaller items were overlooked and made their way into the large trash truck on trash day. Each day as the pile grew smaller but the chair remained,standing like a sentinel guarding the goods for several days.
On Monday morning, I hurriedly dashed across the street, grabbing the chair before it joined the other rejected items at the dump. Obviously it had not been very attractive to the others who had pilfered through the now small heap of personal belongings left behind.
It was clearwhey it wasn't drawing much attention. The seat made of slats was uneven as the larger slats had succumbed to the heat and were warped and swollen. The bottom was covered in cobwebs and the paint was a very unappealing color the shade of old cheese. I felt quite sure this was not the only color this chair had worn in its lifetime.I made a mental note a cushion would be needed in order to sit comfortably on this chair if I were able to make it presentable in appearance. I was not completely confident this trash could be turned into treasure but the unique shape and construction seemed to smack of the promise of transformation.
Now,before one gets the idea I've experience in restoring antique furniture, let me set the record straight. The only project of this nature I can claim as successful is the restoration of a very small rocking chair found at an auction just before my granddaughter was born.With some sanding,paint and stencils, I transformed a broken and weary looking piece into an adorable toddler sized seat, fit for a princess. It became a gift from my hand and my heart to one I love very deeply.
The first fall-like day, armed with a package of sandpaper, a stool and bottle of water, I headed to the garage. Seating myself on the stool, I tackled the back rest of recently confiscated chair. I soon grew weary for I only managed to get to the next layer of paint. My eye caught sight of the bubbled paint on the seat so I switched gears and began diligently rubbing back and forth over the warped and wobbly slats. I was not going to give up my efforts but needed some encouragement to stay with the task.
I'd only been working about fifteen minutes when I was able to see the original wood peeking out from under the two colors of paint. Something inside my heart did a little somersault! As a powdery peach colored dust film began to cover my clothes and crept up my elbows, my thoughts turned to the origin of this unique piece of furniture.
Having noticed the legs of this chair resembled those of some chairs I'd only seen at my great grandparents' home, I began to daydream of a man such as my great grandfather constructing a chair like this one for his family many years ago. I thought about the love with which he might have crafted it and his attention to detail as he purposed in his heart to make it a thing of beauty. After all, it was a crafted by his own hands and would serve a purpose in his family when his creation was complete.
I pictured his family gathering around to see the unveiling of his beautiful pristine creation and thought of the joyful exclamations and admiration of those looking on. Surely, his handiwork would find a place of honor at the family table alongside others he would create. I saw him run his hand across the surface and could almost feel the pride and satisfaction he had in his finished work.
As I finished up for the day, I positioned the chair back in the corner of the garage. Glancing back across my shoulder, I caught a glimpse of the soft pink glow of the original wood, inviting me to finish the project at a later date. It was a glimmer of hope that this once rejected chair might one day find its place in my home. I realized my desire would be to uncover the beauty of its original state and never cover it again with paint hiding its true beauty.
In the same way, God wants to uncover the original design of each of His creations.We are His handiwork, created by His own hands. He has given us a position of blessing and honor and authority. Many of us live far below that which He has designed for our lives and have felt we were sitting in the corner of a dark place waiting on someone to discover our beauty and bring us into the house of God. We long to find a place of usefulness and service but we have allowed the lies of our enemy Satan and the condemnation of man to define who we are.
In the book of Ephesians, we discover that God has a long range plan. He originated the plan before the foundations of the earth. Before the creation of the earth, the eternal Godhead formulated a plan of Redemption. This plan was executed by the Son, Jesus Christ. He bridged the gap between fallen man and God. The Holy Spirit is the Revealer. He wants to reveal to you His original plan and purpose for your life.
I hope you will journey with me through the first three chapters of Ephesians and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to you, the areas of your heart that have not been restored to their original design. As He gently sands away the guilt and the shame, and dusts off the deception and lies, you will catch a glimpse of the beauty in His original design. You will hear that His heart's desire was always to welcome you into His presence, into His home, His heart where you have always belonged.
If you have struggled with insecurity, loneliness, fear, anxiety, shame, guilt, unforgiveness or just want to find the "real you" hidden under all the brokenness and scars, join me as I share short devotional thoughts about Heart Peace found in knowing Jesus Christ.
You have just read the introduction to the study. A new session of the Bible study will appear each Monday, Wednesday and Friday at my web site. For today's lesson (08-25-10) concerning the spiritual blessings of accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior, go to http://www.aredeemedheart.com/ .
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