God sometimes speaks to me in wierd ways...

So, I did some chores around the house today. There was one biggie that had been sneaking up on me for quite some time. In my younger two sons’ room we have been having issues with an old dresser. I have “repaired” it twice before and swore that we would replace it. Didn’t happen, probly won’t any time soon. So, I “fixed” it again today. What struck me was this. The thing is made of cheap pressboard - completely of sawdust and Elmer’s glue. It also has some “snazzy” woodgrain paper glued to it on the outside. This thing probably cost us 10 bucks at a yard sale – maybe $65- new. I can’t even remember when or where we got it – but it was falling apart again. I got out my manly tack-hammer, and drill and went to work – yet again. Dad to the rescue!

I don’t know how God speaks to you, but this event really struck my heart. First, we’ve been married for 18 going on 19 years and much of our “fine” furniture is nothing but pressboard – sawdust covered in paper – pretending to be something made of “real” wood. Even now as I type this, I am sitting in front of a “lovely” – broken – pressboard computer desk with peeling wood-grain paper veneer. It sits next to some equally “lovely” pressboard bookshelves that I also recently fixed because they were sagging under the weight of our books. Not all of our furniture is cheap and fake, but enough that I sometimes get a little self-conscious about it. (Sigh.) Alas, some things just aren’t important – but they do illustrate the point.

Then I got to thinking further,….hmmmm…. how much of my life is made up of pressboard? How many of my relationships go no deeper than the thin fake veneer on my kids’ dresser? How much effort, do I spend “pretending” to be something that I’m not? If I look under the surface – beneath the notso-pretty wood-grain paper, what would I see? I am afraid some things in my life have been nothing more than sawdust and glue pretending to be something substantial.

Hopefully, this is more than just food for thought. I suddenly feel really convicted about some things….. Bye for now!