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by Manda Bradford (Author)
When you have been redeemed, it is like a piece of furniture that has been repurposed. People see it as old and not useful in its current condition. It is taken and given a new purpose and made more desirable than it was before. It increases its value and worth.
Its basic structure is still used, and its imperfections are seen as "giving it character." Our lives are no different; we grow from our hard times. Our scars, when we let them heal, make us more beautiful; and if we allow God in, they give us character.
God made us, and He knows us inside out. He knows our desires, wants, likes, and dislikes. He can see our full potential and see in us what others cannot. If we trust His will for our lives and set aside what we think we should be, He can turn us into something we never even thought possible.
We limit ourselves so many times by trying to make sense of life and of why things happen when the whole time, God knows you are destined for more. Those things that hurt and that you want to escape from are making you more beautiful.
He loves us so much that He allows certain things to happen in our lives to help us grow and become what He sees. Like stripping down an old piece of wood, God pulls away the layers and years of hurt and rejection. Some of the old marks and scratches are too deep to completely sand out, but those bring beauty to the masterpiece. Once the stain and lacquer (Holy Spirit and God's peace) are applied, they bring life back to the old piece of wood and make it shine for people to see.
