A friend inspired me to refinish the hardwood floors in my living room. My two year old and four year old helped to inspire me by using the beige carpet as a large art canvas. So out with old and in with the older…
I moved the furniture, pulled up the carpet, revealing the original hardwood floors circa 1937.  They were damaged. And they were beautiful

So, I got my inner Bob the Builder on! Can we fix it? Yes We Can!

I rented the drum sander from Hardware Store and the edger, my friend brought her palm sanders and we went to work. For hours we pulled staples, hammered down nails, prepared the wood and then we sanded. There were some places where the wood was old and cracked and no amount of nailing would fix the jagged pieces. Some of it we had to break off and sand down even more to prevent injury.

It was hard work.  We were tired, our muscles sore, hands bleeding from splinters. We were covered in dust and dirt…but the floors were beautiful. We washed the floor and sealed in our hard work!

The next morning I came downstairs excited to see the fruit of my labor. Instead, I saw a huge water spot. The water based sealant had brought up the deep water damage in the wood and no amount of sanding would repair it. The imperfection is too deep for a simple sanding.

It needs to be stained so that when others see what used to be damaged, they will only see the  beautiful dark rich color that blends into the wood.

Can I encourage you, this morning? There is a beauty in you, Beloved. The Carpenter sees it when He looks at you. And He will put others in your life who can see it too.

It won’t be easy but it will be worth it. Trust His hands. He is gentle, for He has known the piercing pain of the tree. He is not afraid, not ashamed of your imperfections. He knows just what to do. 

If you let Him, he will show you the transforming power of a blood stained life. When people see you, they will see the beauty of His hands.

Be Brave, Dear One!