"For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." Isaiah 53:2.
This is the post I've been looking forward to for some time now. Since I'm strolling from room to room, I had to wait. And trust me - patience is not a virtue of mine! It's about my favorite piece of furniture. The one that I always say that I would want to salvage if ever given an ultimatum. Its value belongs only to me. I'm sure, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That's why I chose the verse in Isaiah to go with this blog. In its original state, this piece really had no form or comliness, as you'll see below, but it had potential. Much like we are. Our outward appearance might leave a bit to be desired, but that's simply what man looks on, God looks on the heart. The inside - the bones - what has sprouted from the root - what has grown from the tender plant - the real deal.
I think it's more the story behind this piece of furniture that makes it so special, as opposed to the actual piece itself. Several years ago, my brother Joey worked for a moving company in Memphis. He was there for many years and accumulated some of the coolest things that others felt were of no use. One such item was a buffet that Joey said had been thrown into the dumpster out back of the office. Apparently some of the guys offered to get rid of it for a customer. So they threw it away. Joey called me and said, "You've got to come over here and see this piece of furniture in the dumpster, I think you'll like it." I lived close, so I jumped in the car, drove over to the office, and pulled around to the back where I found Joey standing on top of the dumpster, pulling and tugging with everything he had. I jumped out of the car and helped him. He was right - it was a beauty - to our eyes none-the-less. Sometimes beauty is in seeing the potential. Very true in this case.
To say that it was heavy is an understatement. We went crazy checking it out for a manufacturer, but there was none to be found. It was handmade with a mahogany wood that had been painted several times over. The inside,however, was untouched. The knobs were original and the drawers were tongue and groove. It was sturdy and fully intact. Joey jumped back into the dumpster and brought out another wooden piece that he thought might go with it. As he turned the piece over, it revealed a beveled mirror ensconced in the same painted wood, with scrolls used to balance it on top of the base. The top cover was the only part missing. Easy remedy. Oh wait! An important part of this story is the fact that there was only one scroll. The other one was missing - it wasn't anywhere to be found in the dumpster.
We loaded the buffet and took it to my house. There was no room for it, but I couldn't let it go. Joey and I put it on the back porch. Although it was somewhat protected by the elements, it was still mistreated. I wouldn't let it go, but there was no room at the inn (so to speak). So there it stayed for more time than I care to admit. Well over a year at least. But it withstood the test of time. From owner, to dumpster, to the outdoors.
When I finally decided it was time to restore it, I began with a fresh coat of paint (yes, white!). It still didn't have a top or the missing scroll piece. So, Joey and I went to the Home Depot and had a piece of wood cut to fit. Perfect - right? Well... not so much. It just so happens that a few weeks later the moving company was cleaning out the warehouse. Guess what Joey found leaned up against the wall behind a myriad of unwanted paraphernalia? Yep - the top. He knew it when he saw it. He called me with the news almost as excited as I was. I finished restoring everything and felt that the missing scroll would be my artistic means of looking a this piece - not as imperfect, but as redeemed.
Still not the end of the story... A year or so later, while sitting through a University of Memphis graduation with other staff and faculty members, I noticed that Charlie Mazzone (a dear friend and fellow instructor) was reading a magazine about woodwork. I'm sure you guessed by now. I bribed Charlie into making the scroll in return for not snitching on him for reading magazines during graduation ceremonies! I removed the one scroll that was still attached and took it to Charlie. He made a new one that is an exact replica. Not only do I still love my Charlie Mazzone, I love the scroll that he replaced on my otherwise irreplaceable buffet. Charlie is as much a treasure as this piece of furniture.
To say that this piece is timeworn is certainly true. It had no form or comliness. But with just the right amount of tenderness it became the perfect example of a tender plant. With a sown seed, a bit of water, and some minor cultivating, small plants become large trees. What have you done this week to either plant a seed, add a drop or two of water, or helped to cultivate someone? How much time have you spent lavishing yourself when you could have been loving the Lord more lavishly by tending His sheep?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Masked or Transformed?
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:1-2
Sometimes it takes a practical lesson to imprint on my heart the meaning of something. As I am a creature of learning by default, it comes as no surprise that as many times as I have recited this verse, it hit me that this is so often what needs to be done on a more regular basis. The word transformed can also be translated as altered, changed, converted, revolutionized, renovated or made over. We aren't commanded to act like we are a living sacrifice, we are commanded to live it. And that's just a "reasonable" service. Can you imagine what the complicated version would be? A daily transformation by a renewal of the mind as only He can do. And all of this so that I can prove what it, not just the will of God, but the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. Sometimes I just need a little housecleaning!
On my journey through the rooms of my home, I am constantly picking up and cleaning up, often seeing things from repetition instead of stopping to take a moment and enjoying them. I will admit that sometimes I give it the ole, "lick and a promise" (a lick for now and a promise to do better later). But after a thorough cleaning, I take a look around and see things from a totally different perspective. A clean one! A transformation of sorts has occurred right before my very eyes. And all with a lot of effort and some Fabuloso! This is also the time that I see the things I've taken for granted and find a refreshing view of the transformation.
My living room, like most folks, is the room that gets the most use. For all practical purposes, this is the most comfortable place to end a long day. Just relaxing and taking a moment to share the day's events. My Larry love to watch a bit of tv. in the evening and it gives me a chance to sit beside him with no worries or stress. since I don't even know which remote turns the thing on, it's also the only time that I watch it. So... we tune in to some of our/his favorites and sit a spell. The living room is the largest portion of the open floor plan that also incorporates the music area, the dining room, the kitchen, and the bistro.
Like the majority of my house, the living room is decorated with soft shades of pink, blue, green and yellow. Well, a few months back, my Larry decided it was time for a new sofa. One that "fit" him. So, I let him choose it - wasn't that nice of me? His choice was a big, black, leather, double recliner sofa. Somehow he hasn't quite caught on to the color palate I'm working with here! No problem, I thought. So I ordered a king size chenille bedspread from the Vermont Country Store and wrapped that big, black, leather sofa up like a pretty present. The result... a sofa that fit him and colors that fit me. The sofa was transformed right before our eyes. All it took was to look at it from a different perspective.
We also have a nice, big fireplace under the tv. It's off centered and that drives me crazy. So... no, I didn't wrap it like a pretty present with a chenille bedspread, but I did take a pair of old lace curtains and gathered them and hung them across the bottom of the fireplace mantel. The best part about that little maneuver was that my Larry didn't even notice for months. This idea wasn't as much a transformation as it was a mask. What's the difference you might ask? Well, you cant still see what's behind the curtains, but you can't tell what's under the bedspread. They both still function with their proposed expectations. We still sit on the sofa and the recliner flip back with ease, and I can even wash the cover. On the other hand, even though the fireplace still performs as it should, the curtains must be pulled back. The mask has to be removed in order to enjoy a fire.
I also have my favorite comfy chair and another roadside find that was transformed to complement the (now covered) big, black, leather sofa. Dozens of roses from my Larry have been dried and put into vases and reflect his love for me throughout the living room. And a great antique piece of furniture that I found in Memphis abides among the other furnishings that make this room an actual "living room".
I love parallels and analogies of real like that remind me of the mercies God so freely reveals to us. Sure, anyone can take a verse out of context, but when you put it into a form of real life, there is such beauty in knowing that just a mere room in the house can remind you of God's grace. take a look around your living room, or any room for that matter. What do you see? Then take a look in the proverbial mirror of your life. What do you see there? Has there been a true change or just a mask that is easily removed when convenient? Are you masked or transformed?
Sometimes it takes a practical lesson to imprint on my heart the meaning of something. As I am a creature of learning by default, it comes as no surprise that as many times as I have recited this verse, it hit me that this is so often what needs to be done on a more regular basis. The word transformed can also be translated as altered, changed, converted, revolutionized, renovated or made over. We aren't commanded to act like we are a living sacrifice, we are commanded to live it. And that's just a "reasonable" service. Can you imagine what the complicated version would be? A daily transformation by a renewal of the mind as only He can do. And all of this so that I can prove what it, not just the will of God, but the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. Sometimes I just need a little housecleaning!
On my journey through the rooms of my home, I am constantly picking up and cleaning up, often seeing things from repetition instead of stopping to take a moment and enjoying them. I will admit that sometimes I give it the ole, "lick and a promise" (a lick for now and a promise to do better later). But after a thorough cleaning, I take a look around and see things from a totally different perspective. A clean one! A transformation of sorts has occurred right before my very eyes. And all with a lot of effort and some Fabuloso! This is also the time that I see the things I've taken for granted and find a refreshing view of the transformation.
My living room, like most folks, is the room that gets the most use. For all practical purposes, this is the most comfortable place to end a long day. Just relaxing and taking a moment to share the day's events. My Larry love to watch a bit of tv. in the evening and it gives me a chance to sit beside him with no worries or stress. since I don't even know which remote turns the thing on, it's also the only time that I watch it. So... we tune in to some of our/his favorites and sit a spell. The living room is the largest portion of the open floor plan that also incorporates the music area, the dining room, the kitchen, and the bistro.
Like the majority of my house, the living room is decorated with soft shades of pink, blue, green and yellow. Well, a few months back, my Larry decided it was time for a new sofa. One that "fit" him. So, I let him choose it - wasn't that nice of me? His choice was a big, black, leather, double recliner sofa. Somehow he hasn't quite caught on to the color palate I'm working with here! No problem, I thought. So I ordered a king size chenille bedspread from the Vermont Country Store and wrapped that big, black, leather sofa up like a pretty present. The result... a sofa that fit him and colors that fit me. The sofa was transformed right before our eyes. All it took was to look at it from a different perspective.
We also have a nice, big fireplace under the tv. It's off centered and that drives me crazy. So... no, I didn't wrap it like a pretty present with a chenille bedspread, but I did take a pair of old lace curtains and gathered them and hung them across the bottom of the fireplace mantel. The best part about that little maneuver was that my Larry didn't even notice for months. This idea wasn't as much a transformation as it was a mask. What's the difference you might ask? Well, you cant still see what's behind the curtains, but you can't tell what's under the bedspread. They both still function with their proposed expectations. We still sit on the sofa and the recliner flip back with ease, and I can even wash the cover. On the other hand, even though the fireplace still performs as it should, the curtains must be pulled back. The mask has to be removed in order to enjoy a fire.
I also have my favorite comfy chair and another roadside find that was transformed to complement the (now covered) big, black, leather sofa. Dozens of roses from my Larry have been dried and put into vases and reflect his love for me throughout the living room. And a great antique piece of furniture that I found in Memphis abides among the other furnishings that make this room an actual "living room".
I love parallels and analogies of real like that remind me of the mercies God so freely reveals to us. Sure, anyone can take a verse out of context, but when you put it into a form of real life, there is such beauty in knowing that just a mere room in the house can remind you of God's grace. take a look around your living room, or any room for that matter. What do you see? Then take a look in the proverbial mirror of your life. What do you see there? Has there been a true change or just a mask that is easily removed when convenient? Are you masked or transformed?
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Chandeliers and Comfy Chairs
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the LIGHT OF THE WORLD:he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12.
As I stroll through my home, I am reminded endlessly of two things that I love - chandeliers and comfy chairs. Both of which I make my very own. My Momma calls it "dumpster diving" - I call it "free". Whenever I see an abandoned chair alongside the road, I grab it up (and in some cases, send the kids to grab it for me). If the bones are good, I strip it down and make it new. (Hey that is a great analogy of what Christ does to us!) I personalize the chair any way I wish. You know why? 'Cause it didn't cost a penny and if I mess up, no harm done! I will admit though, I actually paid $20.00 for my favorite swivel rocker that I later realized was an Ethan Allen piece. Talk about good bones! It took me almost as long to take it apart as it did to recover it. (Oh how many times the Lord must say that about me!) I don't profess to professional reupholstering by any means (I leave that for Mamaw!), but I strive for perfection and do the best I can with whatever I may be endeavoring. The real test for me comes when company sits on it!
The same goes for my chandeliers. I either get them free or find them on my infamous treasure hunts. A plain chandelier is like an empty canvas for me. I decide which room I want it to go in and then I get carried away. I'm not there yet, but eventually I will have one in every room in my home. My favorite one hangs in the front door entrance to the house. It's outside but not exposed to the elements. The medallion I painted for this one is gynormous and took hours to complete. But the result - magnifico!
The chandelier in my kitchen reflects my love for teapots and teacups. The one in my bathroom was given to me from my next door neighbor in Memphis. It's an antique and was original to his 1900's built home. The one in my office is simple and pink - just like I like it. I made one for my granddaughter, Sophie, that is pink and black - beautiful (just like her). I even hung a pair of pink, glittery high to tennis shoe ornaments (just a bit of her Grandmommy) on it.
Just the word chandelier is fun to say. It's an elegant, bright, whimsical word. And besides that, it offers a bit of light, whether functional or atmospheric. This is probably the restoring that I love to do most. It's quick and easy and can help define a room of any kind. What's not to love about the picturesque sight of a soft comfy chair glowing with the light from a beautiful chandelier? Just thinking about it makes me want to grab a cup of coffee, a good book, and my fuzzy blanket.
I was filling Momma in on my next blog about comfy chairs and chandeliers at my birthday breakfast last week. I never knew what she was about to tell me and I'm sure she doesn't mind me sharing it with you. If you do Momma, forgiveness rather than permission - again. Anyway... Momma was sharing with me that for years she would rise earlier than necessary to prepare for her day. She would make her coffee, take a shower, get dressed, and save plenty of time to have her devotions before leaving for work. She reminisced with me about the comfy yellow chair in the corner with the hanging lamp right above it. She would ready her outward self and then ready her inward self to begin each day. She said that she relished in the quiet before the day began just sitting there drinking her coffee, reading her Bible, praying and then switching off the light before heading out for the day. Although my mind goes back to her old yellow comfy chair on Ridge Bay Cove and the hanging lamp in the corner above it, the houses and chairs and lights have all changed now. So have we. But you know what remains unchanged? Time spent reflecting the light of the world that was the basis of true comfort - even with the most comfortable of surroundings.
You see, the things that bring a smile to your face and add just a bit of spring in your step don't have to be expensive or extravagant. Just a "dumpster diving" chair and a neglected chandelier still have life left in them. All it takes to make it shine again is a little time and love. That's how I feel at times too. I made a pact with myself this past week to try a little something new. Since I couldn't possibly know what is going on in the lives of those around me, I want to let His light shine through me. No need saying something negative about someone we don't even know - even it they can't hear us. Just be nice! To everyone, all the time, for no apparent reason - other than to be a chandelier of sorts. Just make sure you don't put a lampshade on your head or sit on a strangers lap and claim it as your comfy chair!
As I stroll through my home, I am reminded endlessly of two things that I love - chandeliers and comfy chairs. Both of which I make my very own. My Momma calls it "dumpster diving" - I call it "free". Whenever I see an abandoned chair alongside the road, I grab it up (and in some cases, send the kids to grab it for me). If the bones are good, I strip it down and make it new. (Hey that is a great analogy of what Christ does to us!) I personalize the chair any way I wish. You know why? 'Cause it didn't cost a penny and if I mess up, no harm done! I will admit though, I actually paid $20.00 for my favorite swivel rocker that I later realized was an Ethan Allen piece. Talk about good bones! It took me almost as long to take it apart as it did to recover it. (Oh how many times the Lord must say that about me!) I don't profess to professional reupholstering by any means (I leave that for Mamaw!), but I strive for perfection and do the best I can with whatever I may be endeavoring. The real test for me comes when company sits on it!
The same goes for my chandeliers. I either get them free or find them on my infamous treasure hunts. A plain chandelier is like an empty canvas for me. I decide which room I want it to go in and then I get carried away. I'm not there yet, but eventually I will have one in every room in my home. My favorite one hangs in the front door entrance to the house. It's outside but not exposed to the elements. The medallion I painted for this one is gynormous and took hours to complete. But the result - magnifico!
The chandelier in my kitchen reflects my love for teapots and teacups. The one in my bathroom was given to me from my next door neighbor in Memphis. It's an antique and was original to his 1900's built home. The one in my office is simple and pink - just like I like it. I made one for my granddaughter, Sophie, that is pink and black - beautiful (just like her). I even hung a pair of pink, glittery high to tennis shoe ornaments (just a bit of her Grandmommy) on it.
Just the word chandelier is fun to say. It's an elegant, bright, whimsical word. And besides that, it offers a bit of light, whether functional or atmospheric. This is probably the restoring that I love to do most. It's quick and easy and can help define a room of any kind. What's not to love about the picturesque sight of a soft comfy chair glowing with the light from a beautiful chandelier? Just thinking about it makes me want to grab a cup of coffee, a good book, and my fuzzy blanket.
I was filling Momma in on my next blog about comfy chairs and chandeliers at my birthday breakfast last week. I never knew what she was about to tell me and I'm sure she doesn't mind me sharing it with you. If you do Momma, forgiveness rather than permission - again. Anyway... Momma was sharing with me that for years she would rise earlier than necessary to prepare for her day. She would make her coffee, take a shower, get dressed, and save plenty of time to have her devotions before leaving for work. She reminisced with me about the comfy yellow chair in the corner with the hanging lamp right above it. She would ready her outward self and then ready her inward self to begin each day. She said that she relished in the quiet before the day began just sitting there drinking her coffee, reading her Bible, praying and then switching off the light before heading out for the day. Although my mind goes back to her old yellow comfy chair on Ridge Bay Cove and the hanging lamp in the corner above it, the houses and chairs and lights have all changed now. So have we. But you know what remains unchanged? Time spent reflecting the light of the world that was the basis of true comfort - even with the most comfortable of surroundings.
You see, the things that bring a smile to your face and add just a bit of spring in your step don't have to be expensive or extravagant. Just a "dumpster diving" chair and a neglected chandelier still have life left in them. All it takes to make it shine again is a little time and love. That's how I feel at times too. I made a pact with myself this past week to try a little something new. Since I couldn't possibly know what is going on in the lives of those around me, I want to let His light shine through me. No need saying something negative about someone we don't even know - even it they can't hear us. Just be nice! To everyone, all the time, for no apparent reason - other than to be a chandelier of sorts. Just make sure you don't put a lampshade on your head or sit on a strangers lap and claim it as your comfy chair!
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