FINISHED!

It is finally finished!! And in my basement! I almost drove my husband over the edge, insisting that he get it moved inside. It came in at 10:00 night before last. The pictures don't quite do it justice--and how I wish I had taken a picture before I ever started!!! It was really just a heap of dark, dark brown broken pieces when I started. After Emerson got it moved in, he stepped back and said, "Well, I never would have believed it!" I'm not quite sure if he meant that the heap of pieces could ever be restored, or that I could actually do it. I did most of it by myself, but he helped with a few things.

I really am please with the way it turned out--oh, it still has flaws. Lots of old nail holes, burn marks on the top of the bottom part--they look like sorch marks from hot pans, the doors have some pieces that were broken and missing--some I replaced, some I just left. But as Emerson says, "You don't want it to look NEW." And so it doesn't.

It has the marks of service. It was well used. And sometimes abused. And it bears the marks of all of that. But now it has been restored. And believe me, it has a place of honor in my house--even though it's in the basement. I'll be keeping quilt fabrics, pieces of old quilts, thread, quilting tools, etc. in it. It seems fitting to store things in it that I hope will become heirlooms--and hope that it will itself become an heirloom.

Chirst is like that, you know. He came to earth to show the Father's love. And he was used. And abused (beyond what words can even describe). And He still bears the marks in His hands and his feet. He paid the price for us. But now, He has been restored to His rightful place at the Father's right hand.

"Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his diving privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbledhimself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated im to the place of highest honer and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil. 2:5-11

I've learned a lot from this old cabinet. It's a treasure. Take a look back and see what else I've written about it:

More Things Than Time
Crime Scene Investigation
Dusting Off my Life