Preparation

I am probably the most impatient DIYer there is.

When I want a project done, I want it done NOW, so I have been known to skip critical steps to reach the end.

Missing these steps usually means starting over, temper tantrums, and multiple trips to the hardware stores.

Take, for example, my most recent project, where I made a new address sign for my front yard.

Step 1 - Get the wood to affix the address numbers to

Step 2 - Sand wood

Step 3 - Stain wood

Step 4 - Seal wood

In my eagerness to complete the project, I cross off Step 2.

Sanding is boring, and I don't want to do it.

So, I quickly move to Step 3.

As I sit and wait for 5 minutes for the new stain to dry (because why would I wait the proper amount of time?), I realize it doesn't look good.

The wood was rough, with many dings and discolorations, so the stain looked funky and rough.

Ugh.

Once the wood dried (okay, probably not all the way dry), I began to embark on the joys of sanding.

With patience and pressure, the wood's beauty came forth as the old junk was removed.

With each swipe, the rough edges smoothed out, stains removed, imperfections evened out, and the wood was all cleaned up, ready to absorb the new identity that Step 3 would bring.

It was painstaking and time-consuming, but Step 2 made all the difference.

The project turned out better than I hoped, and now, my address sign is the talk of the neighborhood (haha), and I can move on to my next DIY discovery.

As I sat outside with my morning coffee this morning, admiring my work, I thought of how God is preparing us, just like I did with that wood in my project.

God knows the critical steps necessary to prepare us for what He has planned for our lives.

We can ignore Him or skip over the steps and focus on our achievements, treasures, or performances.

We can apply as many coats of new stuff as we want, but if we have not removed the stains and imperfections, we will just have to keep starting over again.

God is our creator and handyman, and He knows exactly what to do to help us heal our wounds and remove the splinters, stains, and imperfections to uncover the beautiful identity within us.

When the old junk is gone, and we are all smoothed out, we can finally absorb God's new beginning.

The tricky part is trusting God and being patient (I wish this step only took 5 minutes), knowing that the sanding step in the process is super important to prepare us for the extraordinary things that lie ahead.

Learning to trust God in the tests and challenges of life is like sandpaper to our soul, slowly buffing away fear and uncertainty until truth and love are all we see and hear.

Let's finish what we started and let God do the work within us to prepare and repurpose us for the greatest good we can offer this world.

I know it takes time, and it's hard to be patient. Believe me, I know.

But the end result will be worth the wait, sweat, and hard work.

You are looking pretty spiffy already, my friend!

Psalm 66:10

Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.

Isaiah 43: 1-2

But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Zechariah 13:9

This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The Lord is our God.' "