Recently my husband and I embarked upon a few “home improvement” projects. Now in theory this was going to be Great! In reality, it would prove to be a Great deal of work! We decided to change the pantry closet and the linen closet by adding new shelves made of wood. The picture we copied on Pinterest was very beautiful and looked simple enough for two amateurs to handle.
We got our supplies and began to work. My job was simply sanding, staining, and painting, and my husband would assemble, measure, and mount. I was ready to go! I know how to sand well due to my years of practice on fingernails. Starting out was the easy part because I had my coffee and my adrenaline to keep me pumped. First I sanded the wall for painting and next the boards for staining.
We used plywood which is very good for this kind of project but it does tend to splinter a great deal. As I looked at each piece, they were all so different. Some had lots of ridges that needed a lot of sanding, and some had really rough spots that needed extra attention. Even the parts that looked smooth still needed more sanding so the surface was even. The more I sanded, the better the wood looked and felt. When I finally finished sanding and staining the cheap plywood looked like expensive custom shelves! We were very proud of our hard work.
This reminded me of life. We all need some “sanding” of our rough places at times. Although we are not sanded with a sander, our rough places are made smooth through our tests and trials. Everyday new “rough” places in our lives are being made smooth, and although we don’t like the feeling of being made new when the process or tests are over God beams at us with pride! He knows we can be better, or do better, so He gives us the chance to shine bright every day. That is our “brand new mercies” we receive, not because we are worthy but because He is gracious enough to give us chance after chance.
Sanding is hard work on both the person doing the sanding and the object being sanded. Both feel pressure and pain during the process but the result is something so Beautiful that it is “Custom Made”.
Blessings~
You Made Me Beautiful AA 