From Discarded to Light

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I frequent all the typical junk joints – flea markets, garage sales, thrift stores, etc., but curbside shopping is a personal favorite. Curbside shopping is open for business 24/7, any place, anytime for anybody. Best of all it’s FREE. You will rarely find something in someone’s bulk trash pile that doesn’t require some TLC and imagination. Not to mention you have to be willing to pull over, dig around until you find something and then put it in your car. It’s not for everyone. You’ll find like most things once you do it a few times it’s no biggie. In the past I wouldn’t stop for stuff if I was alone. Too risky…someone might see me and think I was a little crazy. I felt safety in numbers and would only stop with a partner in crime along for the ride. Now I just hope I’m the first one to the pile and I know I’m a lot crazy, which is totally OK with me.

Two doors down someone is remodeling a severely rundown house, to which I am grateful for on many levels. The trash heaps on the curb have been large and many. Here is what I rescued from the trash truck…

I posted about this awesome chair last week. I actually was itching to transform these wooden beams the minute I rescued them.  Luckily, my hubby was on board and he helped me bring my idea to life. This wood was mangled, full of nails, warped and completely beautiful to me. Time had aged the wood and brought richness to it’s color…you can’t buy wood like that! Sawdust flew to create some super simple candleboxes. I think they are elegant, substantial and have great warmth to them. These were silly easy to make – in fact we made more out of old wood we had in our attic from our home remodel (more on that later too!) If you are related to me you just might be getting some of  these as a gift – just sayin.

I love the warm glow they put out when filled with candles. They have potential for many different uses such as a vase, utensil holder  or for storage. Personalizing them with a monogram steps them up a bit. There are a few different ways to put boxes together, miter edges or dove tail. I like simple and I wanted to see the grain of the wood on every side. Gorgeous.

Being a trash picker, as my mom affectionately refers to my habit, always makes me think of Jesus’ eyes. The bible is stuffed with stories of Christ using the seemingly unusable, discarded, rejected outcasts of society to bring light and truth to His ministry. He makes light out of the dark. The stories of Rahab and the woman at the well (Joshua 2 and John 4) are scriptural truths that I cling to. In both accounts questionable women are used to further Christ’s kingdom. One provides protection and one shares her experience with Jesus. Both are saved by their faith and both are healed. Their lives contribute in great ways to growing the Kingdom. Their brokenness had purpose. I guess the fact that such detail is given about the sin these women have in their past and the potential they still hold in God’s eyes gives me hope that I can relate to. I am never to broken, bent or full of sin for Christ to heal me and use me for His glory. All it takes is genuine faith in Jesus. He can, will and wants to use anyone. No matter our past, he has a future for us. God has given me the eyes to see beautiful things in a literal pile of trash. I pray continually he will give me eyes to see my life and others the same way. To look through the junk and REALLY see things, even call out the light inside myself and others.

If you ever feel broken, bent, warped, used, unusable, unloved, discarded, rejected or unworthy…KNOW that those thoughts are not from Christ. He knows your junk and loves you anyway. God sees the beauty in you, He created you! He wants to use you for His glory – just ask his forgiveness with faith, invite Him into your heart and see what kind of light He shines through you. Reach up your hands, let God pull you up and rescue you from the heap of trash you might feel like your life is. Christ is the only one who can make you new. Your brokenness has purpose too. 

In him was life, and that life was the light of men. John 1:4

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14