Recently I set out to stain our porches to mark that off my summer to-do list. It was around 95 degrees outside when I started this little project. I tackled the back porch first because it's my favorite place to sit and where we all spend a lot of time. First, I swept the porch off many times trying to get it as clean as possible. I then began the task of staining. The stain was a very dark, rich color. As I made my way across each board on our porch I couldn't help but notice how well the stain soaked into the weathered wood, especially with it being summer in Texas. The boards which had the most wear on them absorbed the stain beautifully and looked amazing immediately. Our porches were originally stained a few years ago when we moved into our home. Eric told me then how the porches would look even better being stained a second time after being weathered. I don't know that we planned on waiting four years until we re-stained them, but life happens. While carefully brushing the stain onto each board I was surprised at the contrast between the light, weathered boards and the pretty, dark stained boards. It was hard for me to remember them ever looking so dark and sleek. I started reminiscing of all the memories that had been made on our porch. There have been hours upon hours spent on this porch that brought the wood to the weathered, dull condition it was in. Our kids have ran across this porch thousands of times on their way to play outside. They have driven toy cars back and forth across the boards playing for hours on their knees up and down each board. Sand piles, sticks, leaves, and rock collections have been gathered on this porch. Our dogs have spent their days lying in the sun on this porch. Eric and I have sat in the swing evening after evening, sometimes laughing and sometimes crying. We have shared moments with our families and friends on this porch. Late nights listening to country music and watching our kids roast marshmallows on the fire pit have been spent on this porch. Some of the greatest decisions Eric and I have made in our life have happened right here on this porch. There have been many spills, fights, tears, scuffles, laughs, and all kinds of shoes that have made their way across this porch as well. It's been walked on! It's been used! I smiled as I thought of all the memories our little porch holds. I also smiled thinking about how God wants us to be the porch. Of course if our porch would have never been used it would still look nice and new like it did a few years back when it was first stained. It would lack all the scuffs, scrapes, and scratches, but it would also lack all the memories.
God doesn't want us to protect ourselves so we can remain "perfect." He asks us to put our hearts out there, so we can gain the scuffs that make the best memories. He can't use the "perfect" pretty, sleek people as much as He can use the ones with all the wear and tear. Just as our porch can't be used and remain in perfect condition. He also is there constantly painting a new coat of stain on us anytime we need it. And guess which boards soak up the new stain the best...the beat up ones! With each prayer, sin forgiven, and love shown to others it's a new stroke of stain on our lives. We are the porch, all messed up from the life that is lived through us, but isn't it awesome to have the ultimate painter on our side? Being weathered and worn holds two truths. One being that you've lived a meaningful life and two being that you will soak up the stain so much better. The more heartaches, tears, and scuffs we have the more we have to rely on the ultimate healer/painter. Don't be afraid of the scuffs and scrapes. Live the life God has called you to live making the best memories on your porch as possible. Then remember He is also there always ready to make it look brand new again each and every day. We don't have to wait years to get our new coat of stain, He gives us that grace daily. For each board that is weathered and worn in our lives, we have the opportunity to help someone else with their weathered boards. Maybe addiction has left many scratches on your boards...help someone else overcome their addiction by being the porch they need to use for awhile. Maybe abuse, divorce, betrayal have left scratches and scrapes...help someone else overcome these things. We could have ignored the pull from God to foster care and our porch would have SO many less scratches, scrapes, and worn boards! (Certainly since one of my sweet, foster sons loved to scream and cry while sitting in the chair, holding the arms, and literally jumping the chair all around the porch) BUT we would have missed rocking our foster babies in the swing, hearing the laughs as they try to eat ice cream before it melts in summer, and all the little pitter patters of feet back and forth across this porch. I would have also missed the little arms around my neck after the screaming, crying fit with the cracked voice saying through tears, "You're the best momma I ever had." I would have missed these things! We are not perfect by any means. I can assure you that I've also given my kids some good scoldings from this porch as well, wanted to give up many times, and even sat on this porch and wondered if we were really doing the right thing? But just as I looked down at the porch and saw all the weathered boards that held so many memories, I was reminded that without the scuffs, scrapes, spills, and messes there would never be a reason for new stain. He gives us a calling, a life, difficult times, and messes so we will have to depend on Him. Our porches look better now...but before one was even dry my kids and dogs walked across it. No lie!!! There are tiny impressions in the stain here and there if you look closely. When I asked my kids why they were walking on the porch knowing it wasn't dry yet their response was, "Well the dogs are walking on it." I just laughed! I knew I was going to write this blog while I was staining, and how could it be anymore fitting than to already have little footprints in the new stain? Our job isn't to have the prettiest porch, it's to embrace the little footprints and keep Loving On Borrowed Time.
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