Beauty for ashes

Ok… so it wasn’t really ashes, but it just wasn’t my taste.  When we bought our first house in Orange City 5 years ago, some furniture was included - which was very nice starting out as a new, young married couple!  Some of it was my taste, and some of it wasn’t – but if it meant not needing to buy new, it would definitely work (at least for awhile).

This chair was one of those included. (The navy one -- I forgot to take a picture before I started the project so it is obviously not well staged, but you get the idea.)  A great rocking chair which I have spent many hours in!  However, it really didn’t match anything we had.

I’ve been on a sewing kick lately.  I’ve started sewing some things for baby gifts, some clothes, and other random projects.  Here is what my office sewing room looks like when I start something – because I OBVIOUSLY can’t just stick to making one item at a time when I have 3-4 ideas in my head.

David was gone all weekend so I went to the fabric store on Friday after work and this chair was my weekend project.  My sisters were giving me a hard time about becoming quite the seamstress – and I said, “Yes, but only to my perfection.  I can easily hide any mistakes or mess ups on my own stuff.”  I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy project since I didn’t have a pattern or anything, but I am pretty pleased with the end result.

There are definitely imperfections and places where I may be hiding some extra fabric or bumps and stitches – but you only notice those things when you examine it closely.

It made me think of my relationship with God.  He knows every imperfection I have, yet He loves me just the way I am.  And even when I try to cover up the bad/sinful things in my life, He knows it anyway because He is my Creator. 

For all of those things, I’m so thankful -- he can turn my ashes into beauty, my fear into strength, and my mourning into joy!  What a great God!

ISAIAH 61