I love to restore old furniture. I like to take things that look irreparable and fix them at least well enough for someone to use. I was recently driving in town and saw a small table with a drawer laying in pieces along the side of the road. Someone had put it out for the trash man to pick up. None of the wood was broken, it had just come apart at the joints. It was pretty good quality so I threw it in the back of my pickup and took it home with me.
I put the pieces on my work bench and waited for a day when my schedule would allow me to spend some time with it. I have a very short attention span and have to work in short increments. I will set a project up and spend several short stints with it throughout the day, working on several projects concurrently.
I got my cleaning supplies out and the clamps and glue that I needed. It cleaned up pretty easily and assembled without much trouble. The drawer was a little cockeyed which I straightened and fixed the support it rested on.
It’s wise to do a dry fit before using any glue.
Brushing glue on the tenants and clamping it up went well, now all I had to do was wait until the glue dried. The last thing I did was a final cleaning and wipe it down with furniture polish.
That little table sits in our living room today. We put our remotes for the TV and sound bar in it.
The point is…some things that are thrown away are still useful. People are the same. There are people who have been thrown away whose lives are in pieces and have no hope. It just takes someone willing to help pick up the pieces and put them back together.
Our God is a restorer of people. He is willing to take the time to put anyone back together who will trust Him. The scripture teaches us that He is the restorer of our soul. (Psalm 23)
The Bible also teaches us that mature believers are supposed to be restorers. Galatians 5:1 “Brethren, if a man is taken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness…
The attitude of the truly spiritual believer in Jesus is restoration in a spirit of gentleness. Our God is a restorer. He takes the most damaged people and makes them useful again. He sees your value when your laying in pieces along the road waiting for the garbage collector. He picks you up and takes you where He can put you back together.
I’ve gone through this process many times with furniture and with people. I know the character of God when it comes to brokenness. He is a restorer.
