Laying Floors

“Your eyes will see the king in all his splendor, and you will see a land that stretches into the distance.” Isaiah 33:17

For many years I was extremely embarrassed of my hardwood floors in my entrance and breakfast room, along with the chipped tile in my kitchen. The floors were discolored, scratched and dull, covered with rugs to hide the imperfections. My kitchen had cracks and chips in many of the tiles with stained grout between them. Due to a forced home project, circumstances led to the replacement of our hardwood and tile floors. I was so excited and couldn’t wait to begin last year. This morning as I read my Bible Study it was talking about not welcoming people into our homes due to embarrassing imperfections…tacky linoleum…torn carpet…my damaged floors.

But in recalling those floors this morning I realized that on those floors life happened for me and my family. Many days I sat on those floors with my arms open wide encouraging baby steps from my children. Many times we sat on that floor as I administered first aid to boo boos and kisses to scrapes. Many nights games were played on that floor…cards dealt…dice rolled…tickle fights fought. Bruce played bronco on his knees upon that floor as the kids crawled up on his back trying to stay from being thrown off. Dogs’ bellies were rubbed…grand babies crawled…our last Christmas where all my nuclear family was together was celebrated. Many days I sat on that floor alone heartbroken during hard seasons of my life. But through it all God was also kneeling on those floors as He was laying a future plan of beauty out of chaos…joy out of heartache.

As I revisit the before and after pictures from last year I can’t help but to see things different. I see these pictures from a heart of gratitude. Gratitude for a life of shared love that spanned decades on those floors. Gratitude that God brought our family through all of those broken and messy times. Gratitude that new life can be laid from old wounds. While I saw chipped and cracked circumstances God saw a future life beautiful and restored. As I look at my new finished floor that stretches from room to room, I know that God sees my future life on these new floors. I won’t despise the future scratches and scrapes because I know that just like your floors they tell a story of a life well lived representing hurt, healing and hope for the future.

So, don’t despise the scratches and chips of your life. Don’t worry about the stained grout, because God is doing something new. Just like our homes should be shared, so should our hearts. Our testimonies should be told, illustrating the before and after pictures of God’s beautiful stories of renovation and restoration.

“Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it?” Isaiah 43:19