There’s something deeply satisfying about restoration. Perhaps it’s a spiritual connection. Restoration comes from the very heart of Christ Himself. His promise to restore has gotten me through some of the hardest days of my life.
We aren’t big on restoring furniture at our house. Or, I guess I should say my HUSBAND isn’t into it. I will stop and pick pieces up all day long, and dream up ideas of the finished product once it’s redone/restored. But putting my hand to the sander to begin the process? No way. That’s B’s job. And he’s come through for me time after time with furniture projects and dreams I’ve thrown at him through the years, not without grumbling and groaning first, though! Then there’s this piece.
He knew it had special meaning to me, so he didn’t open his mouth when I told him what I’d like him to do with it. Many years ago, it belonged to my grandmother. When she passed away, my mom inherited it, and it was eventually passed on to me. It was my favorite piece in her whole house. My grandmother kept it filled with framed photos of her family- all her children, grands and great grands- they were precious to her. She probably didn’t have any special ties to this piece of furniture. But, because of all it held, it always seemed precious.
I’m thankful my hubby was able to take my vision for it and bring it to life (and never grumbled or groaned once!). While he was sanding it and redoing it, I noticed her name written on the back upper corner of it. It struck me as funny- because Mammaw didn’t attend school after the first grade. She never learned to read or write. But there her name was.
Mammaw could grow a beautiful garden, can vegetables, run a home, cook and raise a large family. And she did it all on her own. Just her and Jesus. She sure loved the Lord. She didn’t need modern conveniences to live a full, happy life. So, something about seeing her name written on the back was a sweet reminder of a life well lived for Christ. She was so tough. We have a long line of strong women in our family-and it’s all due to her. Her love for all of us, and her love for the Lord.
I imagine by now she’s met my girls in Heaven. Two little girls who will adore her just like the rest of us have. I sure miss them- all three of them. But, I find comfort knowing they are together. It’s also comforting to have this piece in my home now. A beautiful blend of the old and new- a reminder that restoration is coming.
*This post was written in 2018, not long after we lost the girls. We were looking for projects or things to do to keep our minds off our great loss, and this project fit the bill. After all, there’s only so many times you can walk around Walmart at 2:00 A.M. when you can’t sleep due to the grief (And yes, prior to covid, Walmart was open 24 hours a day).
#mymammaw #restoration #strongwomen #annabelle&avaleigh #1peter5:10
