lent 35 - restoration

Yesterday I went to visit my great friends Bryan and Ami who are preparing to go away on long term mission and are packing up their house and giving away all their stuff.  I went to polish their silver  !!

Not that they have much silver.  A few bits and pieces, mostly things which Bryans Dad had been given or awarded for long service in the army many decades ago.  A tiny trophy Brian had won aged ten for horseriding.  A silver photo frame.   I had asked if there was anything I could do to help them as they try to put their entire lives into cardboard boxes, and cleaning the silver was what they asked me to do.    I find it very satisfying taking something that is black with tarnish and transforming it into something shiny and gleaming within a few minutes.  I ended up filthy, but the silver looked great.

In return for my polishing they gave me a very very precious gift.  Gladys's Bible.  Newcomers to the blog might not know that Gladys was Bryans mother, my soul mate and best buddy who died last year at the age of 93.  We loved each other with a passion and to have her Bible is a truly touching and special thing. 



I came home to put the finishing touches to the piano stool I have been upcycling.  I've painted the dark brown wood grey, covered the seat in a grey and white fabric and re-vamped the inside with a grey and white pattern.  It looks great and Im really pleased with it.   

Later I went to empty the dishwasher and was delighted to discover that everything was super gleaming and sparkly.  This is because the other day I worked out how to dismantle the sprinkler arm thingys and cleaned them.  They didnt seem particularly dirty at the time but oh my goodness what a difference to the wash!!  Not a streak or a smear on any of the glasses.  Not a trace of baked bean juices on the tupperware containers.

As I was delighting in my dishwasher triumph I realised that pretty much my whole day had been taken up with refurbishing.  Taking things which were not as good as they once had been and bringing them back to life.   Can you see where Im going with this?  😀

Three different ways of bringing to life - the first was removing the tarnish.  The dirt of the world and the passage of time.  The shine was always there underneath but the sparkle had been dulled and some elbow grease and a bit of time ( and silver polish) was all that was necessary to restore the shine and sparkle again.    The second - refurbishing and modernising something dull, old fashioned and tired.   A coat of paint to cover up the old and make new.  New fabric to cover up the dated seat cover.  This time rather than a removal of the dirt to reveal hidden beauty, it was a covering of the old with something fresh and new
Then finally the dishwasher required a bit of dismantling and washing and putting back together so that it would work fully as it should.   As it did when it was brand new.

Which one are you?   Have you become tarnished and need a polish?  Are you no longer quite relevant and cutting edge and perhaps you need an upgrade or re-vamp?   Or do you need a service - for God to dismantle you and oil all your working parts, then put you back together so that you work optimally again?

Or maybe this is about the people you are going to meet today.  Try to see past the dull tarnished surface to the shine underneath.  Past the traditions or conventions or attitudes which might not be quite up to date.  Past the fact that perhaps someone isnt working quite optimally at the moment.  See what God sees in people.  The potential to be renewed, restored, re-purposed, made shiny and new and clean and useful again.  Perhaps God wants you to get your hands dirty today so that someone else can shine.