By Rachel Thomas, Director of the Future Leaders Program

Recently I’ve been learning the lesson of being restored. As one who LOVES to thrift shop & clearance sale search, I am a developer (my top Strength!). I see the potential in something & I want to bring that out. This makes sense with how I LOVE old antique furniture that can be found at a garage sale or at the end of someone’s driveway for the trash or on craigslist.

One summer I was in need of a decorating fix. My brother had gone to serve at a camp all summer & my mom & I wanted to surprise him when he came home for the first time after being gone so long. *Note: He was 19 at the time & his room was still baby blue with white clouds from his young adolescent airplane stage* It was in need of a makeover! So, I picked the paint, cleaned out his closet, found a new bedspread, made several trips for little accent items, but never found a dresser cheap enough for my parent’s budget. As I was packing some of his stuff up in the basement I found an old, green dresser. IT NEEDED A LOT OF WORK! So, I bought some stripper, steel wool, stain & oil and got to work. I scraped that old, chipped paint as best I could to get it all off for a clean, smooth coat of stain & oil. But after it was stripped, it had a lot of digs & scratches. So I sanded & sanded & SANDED until it was smooth. There it was, naked & raw. I quickly added stain, and then waited. It was the perfect color, but it just didn’t shine like I wanted, so I used the best oil there was. But one coat didn’t do it. I had to wait a whole day for it to dry, but when I added the second coat, it was worth the wait. It shined & was smooth & my family was amazed that this was the same dresser just a few days ago.

Do you see the similarities? Sometimes I feel like I’m not serving my purpose to my full potential. But when God gets a hold of me I can be used even more than before or than I thought I could. However, there is a process of restoration. You have to strip the old. There have been a lot of things that I want to hold onto that have been taken away: my plans for my future, control of my life, etc. Thankfully, God has stripped me from them. There are some dings & scratches that need some extra care, but most of the time they add character. Over time it takes on a new look. However, there is a time of waiting. It requires patience. I know this process of God refining me will take time. I get so impatient sometimes & its hard.

I’m sure when God looks at me he thinks, “SHE NEEDS A LOT OF WORK.” But I’m glad that He is not giving up & is willing to take the time & effort to restore me. I’m so thankful.

“Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!” –Lamentations 5:21