[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church during October 2020]
This week I have started restoring an old drop-leaf table. It dates from the 1950s and suffers from creaky joints, scratches and scrapes, and its former rich colour has faded. Maybe some of us of a similar age can identify with that assessment.
The project starts with an examination of the table’s current condition. Is there any woodworm, are there any broken pieces that need to be replaced, is the hardware serviceable? In addition, we need to record how all the pieces fit so that we can put it back together again. Plus, of course, there is the inevitable sample of Wrigley’s finest, left by some obnoxious juvenile who is no doubt now grumbling about the distasteful habits of the current junior generation.
We could just give the table a lick of paint; that would cover its faults and make it look good – for a while. But this is not a utility table; it is destined for one of our reception rooms and a quick cover-up won’t make the grade. So the table is being taken apart and each piece sanded, varnished and polished, and then the table will be rebuilt. We are not aiming for perfection. In Japan there is a tradition of repairing items in such a way that their history is honoured. The cracks and patches tell a story of their own, and this adds to the value of the object.
There is, of course, a spiritual parallel. Have you made a realistic assessment of your current condition, are you content with what you see? We all go through periods in life when we feel down and we need something to freshen us up a bit. Could a superficial change make us feel any better when what we really need is restoration?
The apostle Paul wrote of a persistent ‘thorn in the flesh’, without defining what (or even who) that might be. Several times he asked for it to be taken away but God’s response was “My grace is sufficient!” Paul’s failure to be specific means that we can claim the same promise whatever our circumstances. Your experiences of life are diverse and unique, and they leave their marks upon you. God can use those experiences for your benefit and for the benefit of those around you.
“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me”. [Psalm 51 v12]
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
