A Work in Progress

A few weeks back we rescued this gem from what would of been eternity in a garbage dump.

Slowly, we have been stripping the old paint away layer by layer to reveal the pure beauty of the wood in its original state. It is a work in progress.

Last month we heard a message at church titled, "Taking the Plunge." It was a back to the basics message on salvation and growing up in the Lord. A few days later, I was stripping the layers of paint away, and I pondered the words I heard earlier that week. Just like the dresser before me, I (and you) are works in progress. When we were 10 years old we knew more than when we were 5, at 20 we knew more than we did at age 10 and so on. As we grow in age, hopefully we grow in maturity. The Pastor mentioned during his sermon that "growing up" brings stability and wisdom. Words that seem simple, but they impacted me differently this time. I want stability and wisdom in my life. I want to be stable (or even more stable) for my kids, for my husband and others around me.

I want more than the stability that comes with age, I want the stability that comes from growing up, maturing, and increasing in wisdom in the things of the Lord. A stability that cannot be shaken. A stability that brings a new level of maturity. This stability takes some work. I am done sitting on the sidelines, waiting for it. I am chasing after it with all I have. The Pastor mentioned sitting in church for 10 or 20 years does not make you mature in the things of the Lord. While it is very beneficial, there is more to it than that. As a family, we are reorganizing and reprioritizing. I am sure it will stretch and change us, but in the end we will be better for it.

Just as the old paint is being stripped away, so are layers in my life. I am a work in progress and I am thankful for the things that the Lord is doing.