Work Of His Hands

“The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands” (Psalm 138:8).

I noticed how my friend would drag an old, ugly chair around his home. It served as a stepstool to retrieve groceries in the upper cabinets or sweep spider webs high above. I got to examine that rundown relic up close. The finish was badly weathered. The joints were worn and unstable. Deep scars from misuse told a sad tale. I offered to restore the chair. Instead, it was willingly given to me as a gift. In my workshop, I turned the chair over only to find an old paper label still nailed to the backside. As I wiped the dust away its lost purpose came to light: Manufactured by High Point Bending & Chair Co., Pattern No. 5515.

I discovered that the chair had a maker and pattern number indicating that it was designed for a specific purpose. I stripped what was left of the old finish, sanded it down to the original wood grain, sealed the wood with a penetrating protective coating, and stained it back to its beautiful walnut finish. The chair was restored to its former glory and serves the purpose it was created for—not as an unstable stepstool but as a sturdy desk chair.

I take comfort in knowing that God will not forsake me. His steadfast love endures and restores my true purpose in life. While he may sometimes have to strip and sand and seal and stain me, I will finish the specific work he created me for.

© 2009, Gicky Soriano. All rights reserved.