The chair sat splay-legged like a pre-adolescent girl who forgot her manners—but I thought it was beautiful. Well, potentially beautiful.
The pantry tucked away in the uninhabitable house sported burst canned goods and years of grime—but I envisioned it freshly cleaned, painted, and filled with dishes. Was I delusional?
Sorry for the blurry, pre-blogging photo, but I wanted to show you the real deal.
The vintage bedspread in its original box was so filthy no one else would place a bid—but in my mind, it was already pure white and laid across my guest room bed. I snatched it up for $25.
“Loomed to be Heirloomed” — What a great tag line from days gone by!
res·to·ra·tion
noun \ˌres-tə-ˈrā-shən\
: the act or process of returning something to its original condition by repairing it, cleaning it, etc.
: the act of bringing back something that existed before
: the act of returning something that was stolen or taken
Whether it’s a piece of furniture, vintage textiles, or an entire house, I love a good comeback story!
After rescuing them, we’ve enjoyed a matching pair of these hand-carved antique chairs in our living room for over two decades.
Click the pic to see the entire kitchen and dish pantry renovation.
Every single stain came out!
But it’s not only “things” that benefit from restoration. People do, too.
And I REALLY love those comeback stories!
- Broken relationships
- New reality after accident
- Grief from death or tragedy
- Loss of health
- Lack of time with family and friends
- Uncertainty about the future
Perhaps this season of Lent is a good time to slow down and evaluate our lives. Are there areas that need to be restored? Are there steps we can take toward restoration—or does our situation seem hopeless, reminding us that we need a Savior? What if over the next few weeks we open our hearts a little wider, seek God intentionally, and look for areas that need to be restored? I wonder if perhaps we would experience Good Friday—and then Easter—in a fresh way this year.
I wonder if we would be ready to receive the overflowing grace God is ready to offer us.
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
1 Peter 5:10
Have a great week! I’ll be back in a few days with more old house renovation progress. Be sure you subscribe to get new post notifications the minute they go live.
Thank you for sharing your inspiration and applications.