Trash to Treasure

I used to think that 'old and broken' = 'no good garbage'. But not anymore. I've had to train my eyes to see it, but now I understand the saying and recognize how "One man's trash is another man's treasure".

As a window, it's seen better days. But as my inspiration to remake into a masterpiece, it is absolutely perfect!

Take a look at this poor thing. When you look at the surface you might see a cloudy window with a frame in disrepair. But what if you look deeper at the true nature of what the piece has to offer? What if instead of just a peek inside a room, this window offers an insightful look into inspiration?

Ah, now we're getting to the "treasure" part.

I wanted something in my farmhouse kitchen makeover to remind me daily of our family's decision to embrace joy as a way of life in all circumstances and not a destination that awaits us when hard times are finally over. So when I saw the vinyl wall art slogan "find joy in the journey", I knew exactly where it needed to be! Cleaning the window, adhering the vinyl, drilling holes and mounting door knobs, locating my long lost EDINGER metal letters that were cast out of the basement when the man cave was born, finding the perfect silk wildflowers- all took a significant amount of time and dedicated effort, but the finished product is just SO MEANINGFUL to me. It's my own little "window to the soul".

I am so glad I went through the effort to reclaim this window! I love how it turned out and how personal it is for our family.

It also ended up being an impactful reminder of the "trash to treasure" work God is doing in my heart. You see, those branches that were woven in with the flowers at the top of the window actually came from the tree that was uprooted from our front yard last week in the storm.

Not that I think nature sacrificed this tree for my little project, but I truly believe nothing is wasted, if we just have eyes to see it.

Out of all of the steps involved in completing this project, it surprised me that cutting, attaching, and weaving the broken branches was the most difficult. I'm not kidding! I was getting so frustrated. And then I had this thought that hit me like a ton of bricks. Those little branches that shouldn't have been that big of a deal, that took me a long time, and didn't fit together the way I originally intended- are a lot like the broken places in my spirit that cause me to lose my patience. It's just like when I wonder why I still struggle with that brokenness or weakness, or why is the healing taking so long, or what good could possibly come from the devastation of my own personal life storm?
There are lots of questions that I don't have the answers to, but I do know this- God is in the business of bringing new life to what I once thought was completely beyond trying to salvage. His greatest pleasure is in working a miracle to renew and remake my spirit in a way that increases my ability to reflect His love and grace and brings glory to Him. His vision is not only to redeem and restore, but to INVOLVE ME in being an ambassador for redemption and restoration to the people around me every day. I'm learning that if my life is to be the Lord's masterpiece mosaic, then brokenness has to occur for the pieces of the mosaic to fit together. It's tempting to try to sweep those broken pieces under the rug or pretend nothing is shattered, but God is not deterred by attempts to hide. His vision for us is too great to ignore! He has chosen you and me, not to be defined by brokenness, mistakes, failure, or weakness, but to be accepted as His righteous, forgiven, holy, and worthy new creatures in Christ. My heart is completely overwhelmed and I'm moved to tears at the amazing truth of this!

One of my very favorite songs in the whole world is "I Am New" by Jason Gray. I listen to it when I feel the shame of past failure trying to haunt me or when I get discouraged that I'm not further along in my goal to "get it right". Wouldn't you know, the lyrics of this song went through my mind when I was struggling with those darn branches! I started singing it while reworking and regluing them for the upteenth time. When I watched it on YouTube to include the link in this blog, I discovered the visual plot shows them fashioning trash into treasure and so I knew it wasn't just a coincidence that it came to my mind to include it in this post. I really just want to copy and paste the words right here! I hope you'll watch it and be reminded that your brokenness is not trash. Nothing is wasted. He is engaged in the ultimate restoration of His treasured child right now- making you new!
<<View video "I Am New" by Jason Gray>>

Lyrics

Now I won't deny
The worst you could say about me
But I'm not defined
By mistakes that I've made
Because God says of me

I am not who I was
I am being remade
I am new
I am chosen and holy
And I'm dearly loved
I am new

Who I thought I was
And who I thought I had to be
I had to give them both up
Cause neither were willing
To ever believe

I am not who I was
I am being remade
I am new
I am chosen and holy
And I'm dearly loved
I am new

Too long I have lived
In the shadows of shame
Believing that there
Was no way I could change
But the one who is making everything new
Doesn't see me the way that I do
He doesn't see me the way that I do

I am not who I was
I am being remade
I am new
I am chosen and holy
And I'm dearly loved
I am new

I am not who I was
I am being remade I am new
Dead to the old man, I'm coming alive
I am new

Forgiven beloved
Hidden in Christ
Made in the image of the Giver of Life
Righteous and holy
Reborn and remade
Accepted and worthy, this is our new name

This is who we are now

Songwriters: Jason Jeffery Gay

I Am New lyrics © Music Services, Inc