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Restoring furniture is difficult work. It requires a plan, varnish and paint remover, scrapers, wire brushes, steel wool, rubber gloves, and host of other products and tools too numerous to mention. Lately, Tracie has been refinishing the four stair treads leading up to our bedroom area. She dismantled the wrought iron railing, removed the treads and began the process of getting everything prepped for refinishing.

Oak treads are pretty straight forward. Strip off old finish, sand and smooth surfaces, and begin layering 'gym' floor seal.

The wrought iron railing is a more detailed task. Our, um, I mean Tracie's goal was to get the railing back to bare metal. Removing black paint and gray paint and green-ish paint and several other non-descript shades of paint has taken much time and effort. It would have been so much easier to have sanded the existing paint a bit, slapped a fresh coat of paint on, and been done with it. It would not have been a quality job and would have revealed as much. After several days of toil, Tracie has gotten the railing to an accepatble condition to begin painting.

Tomorrow when the rain moves out of our area and humidity levels lower, primer and fresh new paint will go on the railing and we'll be able to put everything back together.

"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."

(Psalm 51:7, NIV)

Restoring furniture and restoring sinners has many similarities. We need to get wood and steel back to their original or 'default' quality. God offers humanity a restoration through Jesus Christ. God doesn't cover over our sin with some glossy covering but desires to bring out the newness in our life. All the layers of sin and dysfunction are peeled, scraped, and sanded off. God preps our hearts to receive the gift of grace through Jesus. Without the work of Jesus on the cross, we would be pieces of furniture walking through life with countless proverbial layers of paint and varnish covering over a shiny treasure.

God changes dead things to alive things, He transforms old things to new things, and He removes layers of pain and sorrow and replaces them with shouts of joy and victory. Are you in need of restoration? Have you covered your soul with one coat of paint after another? It is time to press into God's workshop and allow the ultimate makeover. You'll look and feel priceless and that is what God has made us to be and what He wants for you....for me.