Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV
I love going to thrift shops, flea markets, and yard sales. I enjoy seeing things from previous eras, things that were owned by others—relics from other lives. When I see an item from a bygone era, I always wonder what all it has seen. It is so strange to me that in many cases these inanimate objects will spend more time on this earth than I. Is this item in its original condition? Has it been remade into something new?
I love thrifting but I can’t say I always come up with a winner. Often I’ll find a few little things that I had my eyes open for, but rarely do I find a really nice piece for a price that I’m willing to pay, that I can just bring home and plop down in its spot. No. What usually happens is I find something that seems like it’s in good condition, but is … a little ugly. It might be painted an ugly color, or have a stain so thick you can’t even tell what kind of wood it is. In such cases I have to look at the pieces with an imaginative eye. What would it look like if I painted it? What if I refinished it or switched out the hardware?
This happened with a little end table that I received from a relative. The end table was skinny, which was what I needed for the room I had in mind. It had collapsible leaves that could turn into a card table if extra space was needed; but this little end table had one drawback—it was homely. It had the kind of thick lacquered stain that was popular in the ‘80s; its hardware was dated and tarnished, and I just did not harbor very high hopes that this end table would be anything besides homely. Still, I figured, it would do until something else came along.
My husband and I brought it home and I started thinking about ways I could improve its looks. I could paint it, but what color? I like most of my furniture to be neutral but I just couldn’t picture this table in black, white or gray. Suddenly, I got an idea! I would paint it the same color as my front door—a deep teal-hued navy! I liked the idea even more when I found a beautiful cream and gray drawer-pull for the drawer on the front of the end table. I went to work, sanding, wiping, painting and reinstalling hardware. Finally it was finished. I stepped back and looked at it and I couldn’t believe it—I loved it!
I still have that end table and it’s one of the favorite pieces in my house. I still can’t believe what a coat of paint did for it! I am so happy with it. Thinking over its transformation made me think of what God does for us. He takes us, if we allow Him to, and sets to work on us. He sands our rough spots, removes old traits that don’t reflect well on Him or His kingdom, He swaps out old habits for new ones, and over the course of a lifetime, He turns us into something more beautiful than we ever could have imagined. Sometimes He does have to strip us down to the barebones before He can begin His work. Sometimes.
Overtime He remakes each of us into a new creation if we allow Him. He watches as we transform from something ugly into something beautiful right before His eyes. How He must feel when He looks back at a life once doomed and headed for total depravity and destruction who yielded their life to Him and allowed Him to work His divine magic into something beautiful! It must be very gratifying to see us as we transform into the person He created us to be. How awesome it is that He can make all things new, even us!