fresh flowers for January 27

A belated happy anniversary to my mom and dad - 44 years this year - yee haw!!

A Transformed Couch
copyright, 2006, lani wiens
a fresh flowers original

Last night as I was soaking my sick achy body in my wonderful tub I thought I had no flowers to give today, too tired, too sick, too brain-dead. So I asked my Lord if there was something I could share and my ever faithful Father reminded me of my couches.

When we moved into our new house it became painfully obvious that we needed to do something about our furniture quickly. Zippers were broken on the seat cushions, permanent stains everywhere. I've said this before and I'll say it again, unless you are purchasing leather, never never never buy solid covered cloth furniture when you have many small children. Our lovely sage green couch and it's navy blue counter part show every milk spill, every wipe of a snotty nose and various other sundry stains. So my husband and I ventured forth to the local fabric store with Christmas money in hand and a prayer in our hearts to find something that we could make covers with since buying new was out of the question.

We were blessed with a great sale and some beautiful fabric - red plaid, deep solid red to match and then a lovely olive green and cream combination for the other. We were thrilled, now I just had to wrap my head around how to do this thing. To make a long story short, they're all finished and look fabulous, like brand new furniture. Underneath they're the same stained things they've been but they've been given a new lease on life.

This reminded me of my life in Christ. When I accept Him, He gives me a new lease on life, all that old sin is covered over by His blood and when He looks at me, that's what He sees, new, clean and perfect.

Unfortunately for my couches they won't be transformed underneath into brand new leather, top of the line furniture, but I will be! God promised to transform me, taking my unrealistic expectations, perfectionism, irritability and all that other ugliness and make me brand new. This is the good news and it's easy to forget in our world of busyness and rushing about. In our bible study over the last two weeks we've been sharing testimony about the lies we have believed, the truth that God has revealed and the faith that we now walk in to counter-act that lie. What an encouraging thing to hear twelve different snippets of how God has come in and transformed a life, giving us a story to tell about His grace and mercy in our lives.

Think about it, God has made you a new covering through the blood of Jesus Christ. He is transforming you into a top of the line testimony that many people will come and find comfort and beauty in. This is our life, and it's a good one. Perhaps He'll even transform my home-schooling efforts into something good!