Old Made New

*Originally shared on Beautifully Rooted*

I saw it sticking out of a dumpster and yelled "trash," our code word for "hey, there's something fabulous sticking out of that dumpster." He pulled over and I skipped towards it, giddy at my find.

What I pulled out was an old, chippy front of something. Maybe an old pantry or a curio cabinet. We pulled the pieces and parts away that were leftover from the dismantling of it all, and put it in the car.

It was perfect!

I asked my hubby to help me with the project, and then sheepishly stepped aside while he did most all of the work.

Each pocket, minus one, held a pane of glass. He put on his work gloves and carefully removed each one.

From there he cut rectangles out of two types of wire mesh- ones with little holes for my earrings, ones with big holes to hang my necklaces and bracelets.

He clipped the corners and folded the mesh in a little so he could staple it to the frame.

He drilled two holes at the bottom for chunky dowel rods so my window could stand.

Throughout his work, he kept asking me "are you sure you don't want to paint it?"

"Never, it is absolutely perfect."

"The chippy parts are my favorite."

And how many times did people drive past that dumpster just seeing trash, when I saw "trash!" and an opportunity to give something new life and new purpose?

Sound familiar?

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

I'm so glad I serve a God who likes my chippy parts the best, too. Who sees something in me- an opportunity to create anew.

I often think of this verse and this metaphor when I'm refinishing, refurbishing, recycling, and upcycling. I find comfort in knowing I've been pulled out, saved, and made new, with each day, each morning, and each breath.