Most of us like the show, “Flea Market Flip.” We love to see the contestants take old furniture and make the pieces into something beautiful. We are amazed at the creations; and can’t believe that something that looked so broken and distressed could be transformed into something people will pay hundreds of dollars for.
When I look at some of those discarded pieces in the flea market, it reminds me of what my life was like years ago. Early on in life, I had a spirit of adventure. I loved to travel and meet new people. Naively, I trusted people and could not imagine that someone would desire to use me and do me harm.
That’s exactly what happened to me. In my mid-twenties, I found myself in the flea market. I had been cast aside and was on the shelf. Most people who walked by probably thought I didn’t have much worth. After all, I had been through so much, how could I be of any use to anyone? I was one of those broken, distressed pieces that looked like it didn’t have much value.
It was at that time in my life that the Ultimate Flea Market Flipper showed up. His name was Jesus, and instead of walking by, he stopped and took a long, hard look at me. He saw in me promise and potential that no one else did, and he decided to purchase me on the spot.
He took me into his workshop and the first thing he did was clean me up. I needed a good wash and soak in his special cleaning solution in order to get all of the dirt off of me. I had been out in the world for years, believing its lies and trying out what I thought would be fun and exciting things. These things began breaking me and destroying me from the inside out.
He then began the long process of remaking me into something he would eventually be able to use. He began to sand old attitudes off of me, and he replaced them with new attitudes that would give me a more desirable sheen. He saw the mechanical parts inside of me that were broken and didn’t work, and he replaced the “broken heart” of the problem with a new one. The new heart could feel new things and looked for a new way to live and be of use.
After a while, he took me out of the workshop and put me to use. When he finished his original transformation, I was unrecognizable. That broken, discarded piece had been repaired to a point where it could be used in places that previously would have been impossible to imagine.
I then began to meet people who had also been purchased by him at the flea market. They had a new spark and hope and were glad they had been rescued from disuse and abandonment. People like us know what it is like to be broken; and then given new life and usefulness by the Ultimate Flea Market Flipper.
A New Year is starting, and it is full of the breath of promise of things to come. The past year is almost gone, and takes with it the successes, failures, blessings, and trials that came with it. I don’t know about you, but I am thankful for its passing and hopeful for the year to come.
Heavenly Father,
Have you ever been busy, I mean really busy at Christmas? I know I have. I have been running around buying presents, wrapping them, sending cards, going to parties, and preparing to travel. I remember several years ago, when I was in the middle of a flurry of activity, there was a small Voice in the back of my mind. What was the Voice saying? It was saying, “What about Me?”
It usually starts with a thought. The thought flies through my brain so fast, I cannot even tell you what it was. A few minutes later, another one comes; it lingers a bit and I focus on it. The thought usually starts with some form of “You don’t, You can’t or You aren’t.” The thoughts keep coming and if I dwell on them, I begin to feel discontented with my life.
In the last few weeks, we have had more revelations about people in the media who have taken advantage of people who have less power than they do. Most of us do not run in those circles, but we all have been in a position where someone older, stronger, and more powerful than we are has tried to take advantage of us. How can we do our best to prevent it?
Are you a person who doesn’t know if God exists or not? Do you see evidence of order all around you, but are not quite sure if the earth and universe were created by an Intelligent Designer? Are you seeking answers to your questions about God but don’t know what to do next? Why not take The Agnostic’s Challenge?
hardcore In this country, I hear two distinct narratives being fed to the American people. If I listen to the left-leaning outlet, the Republicans have colluded with Russia and the election was affected by it, etc., etc., etc. If I listen to the right-leaning outlet, the Democrats have unduly influenced their own primaries and their candidate is hip deep in her own Russian scandal, etc., etc., etc. There seems to be no middle ground, and the listeners of both of these outlets get fed one biased story after another.
A few weeks ago, my husband and I were walking along the bike path and were enjoying the glorious fall weather. The sun was shining, the days were warm and we were basking in the perfect weather. The trees were gorgeous and we were taking in the breathtaking colors of the leaves. Truly, the days seemed like the perfection of creation.
When I was younger, I travelled to several countries and visited lots of cathedrals and churches. Never, to my recollection, did I ever see the flag of the country I was in displayed inside the church or cathedral I was visiting. When I returned to the US, I never gave the subject any more thought.
