more lessons from my corner cabinet

A few weeks ago i shared my story of the corner cabinet with some ladies at 5L's women's ministry at the request of my sweet mother-in-law.  It was such a wonderful time and i was so excited for the opportunity to share my story via restoring furniture! As i was preparing to share that night, i couldn't help but see that there is so much more to my little cabinet's story!

You know, it's true that i spent quite a bit of time working on the cabinet, cleaning it, restoring it and giving it new life, but i didn't do all of that in order to keep it downstairs in the basement.  Since then, I've brought it upstairs into my kitchen and have began to put things inside it and on its shelves - my china, a cake stand i made, mementoes from our wedding, a photo or two, and a pair of candlesticks.  There's not much else I can fit onto or into it, and i'm perfectly happy with it! It is doing exactly what it was made to do - look cute and store my stuff!! :)

I'm sure that if my cabinet could talk, it would say that it probably feels a little out of place when it remembers where it was before and how dirty it was.  It might would even say that it doesn't deserve to be in our home, holding the new and spotless china that rests on it.  However it could possibly feel, it would be forgetting that it has been made new and it is perfectly deserving of the spot it has been given in the corner of our kitchen.

As i thought about these things, however silly they may seem, i found but yet more parallels between this cabinet and myself.

There comes a point when i must move from the basement where i've been made whole and new, to my place upstairs in the kitchen, holding all the new and spotless items on my shelves.  I've got to move from the place where Christ met me and gave me grace - in the pit - and into the place that he has had for me all along, doing the things he has made me to do, allowing myself to be clothed in his likeness. 

I can't forget that i've been made new, and that i do not look like the old me, so why should i act like it?  I've been cleaned up, to be clean {Eph. 5:1}, and to let my light shine before others so they may see my good works and glorify my father which is in heaven {Matt. 5:16}.

There's not going to be any light shining to anyone from the basement.

There are other times when i'm, metaphorically speaking, in the kitchen but have all the wrong things on my shelves, and i have to confess that, asking Christ to clean me up once again, and lead me back to what i was made to do - glorifying him in everything {1 Cor. 10:31}.  

Where am i? Am i still in the basement? On my way up the stairs? Am i in my corner?

What do i have on my shelves? Selfishness? Love? Pride? Patience? Obedience?

There are times when I too, like the cabinet  feel completely overwhelmed and undeserving of where i am now, because of where i used to be.  But it is only because of the father's great love for me, his neverending grace and unfathomable faithfulness to me that i am who i am today.

I want to be perfectly situated in the corner he has for me.

I want to have exactly the right things on my shelves,

...that my light may shine so my Father, the great Restorer may be glorified in all places, in all languages,  by all peoples.

He is worthy.

where would Jesus shop? flea market or ikea?

this summer my father-in-law introduced my husband and i to a show on the history channel called american pickers. let's just say i have a new favorite show. i love how these two guys go around to old barns, dig through people's junk, dust, (and who knows what else!) in order to rescue old broken and beat up pieces and give them new life in someone's home!  the things they find are incredibly unique and are worth so much money!

recently i've gotten into a little pickin' myself! i love going to the flea market or antique shop in search for a super unique piece or furniture or just a little trinket at a really good deal.  i found an old corner cabinet last fall.  it needed painting and a little restoring, but i could see the potential! (i'm not so sure matthew could, however!) but with a couple days work of sanding, cleaning and painting, I now have a super-cute corner cabinet in our little kitchen!

through the process i couldn't help but be reminded of how i share that corner cabinet's story.  i too am worn, chipped, cracked and in need of a new paint job.

and thankfully i have a saviour who came in and saw some potential in me when others might not have.  he's been sanding on me for a while, painting me new little by little.  im not perfect, but i've been and am still being restored.

i could have ran out and found something brand new, no work involved, and no love needed.

i didnt. i chose the one that needed love.

he could have given up on me and went out and found someone else, someone who maybe hadn't messed up like i have.

but he didn't.

he chose me.  he chose to love me in spite of my flaws.  he chose to pay the price for me, removing the debt i owed because of my sin.  he didn't get a good deal either, there was no bargain.

there was only one price to be paid. a sinless, perfect, righteous sacrifice. and he's the only candidate for that.

he gave himself. he died to buy me, canceling my debt, giving me new life.

praise him that he dug me out of that old, dirty barn! he redeemed my life from the pit and crowned me with steadfast love and mercy, and satisfies me with good so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Ps.103:4-5)

and you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. this he set aside, nailing it to the cross. he disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.   colossians 2:13-15

he doesn't start over again when we mess up.  he loves us, changes us, and makes us new.  he doesn't trade us in when we're cracked - going to the nice, neat showroom full of shiny and sparkling flawless people.  that place doesn't exist.

i think jesus would shop at the flea market.  i think he does everyday.