Useless, an old building torn down and reduced to a pile of worthless wood. Good for nothing, really all it was fit for was to be burned or left to rot. Looking at the heap of old planks I thought, maybe there is something good in there. One by one I examined the old planks. Everyone of them was rough. Twisted and warped there was not a straight edge to be found. It was just an old pile of useless lumber

I took the best of these crooked boards, pull out all the nails and ran them through a planer to make them all the same thickness. Then using hammers, saws, clamps and glue I cut and banged and squeezed the old wood into a box. That is what it was, full of nail holes, scars and blemishes it was just an ugly box.

But then I covered it with polyurethane. The polyurethane did something wonderful. It highlighted all the imperfections. Now the nail holes and scars are no longer blemishes instead they are character marks. All the mistakes I made, now look as though they were planned. With the coating of polyurethane, the ugly box suddenly turned into a beautiful chest.

As usual I see a Spiritual metaphor.

Many people are like that old pile of wood. Warped and twisted their lives are fit only to be left to rot. But they try. With their own abilities they work hard to make something of their lives. They cut, hammer, glue and squeeze until they turn their life into an ugly box. They have done the best they could but still their life is useless. After all they are amateurs. They need the help of the Master Carpenter.

Jesus is the Master Carpenter. He invites you to surrender your hopeless life to Him. If you will allow Him, He will fill you and cover you with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can highlight your imperfections and scars turning them into trophies of grace. The polyurethane I used turned an ugly box into a beautiful chest. In the same way, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit can turn your life into a beautiful vessel that is suitable to adorn the throne room of Heaven.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where The Pavement Ends

Email- pavementendsministry@gmail.com