Tonight's blog for April 22, 2013

Marge has a niece, named Amy. She is a wife. She is a mom. She is an adult. Those are, frankly hard for me to assimilate, since I've known her as a child. She is a great writer. That part is why I am sharing her thoughts with you.. Amy and her family have faithfully and graciously served our LORD, and are in the process of moving. Many can relate to the joy that she has as a parent. And many know that moving can be a great but scary time for moms and for dads and for kids. You will see and feel these emotions from what follows! 

Amy Storms - The Table 

 

The Table

Posted: 21 Apr 2013 07:24 PM PDT ( at http://amystorms.com )

“Heavy solid wood dining table, painted black,” I posted on a local for-sale website. We’re selling several items before our move.

“Seats six with two leaves. In good condition, but top has several marks and scratches, and needs to be repainted.”

I read over my description as I contemplated an asking price. I knew those “marks and scratches” lowered the dollar amount, but I felt I should defend them.

“The red paint drips are from Anne’s birthday party two years ago,” I wanted to add. “We painted mugs, and made a huge mess, and had a great time.”

“That bumpy patch where the paint isn’t shiny happened when the girls spilled nail polish remover. I wish I would’ve cared more about their feelings than about the spill.”

“The scratches around the edges are thanks to Belle the basset hound. Her claws scratch it every time she jumps up to steal our food.”

“I made that big mark at the end when Andy was in Uganda. My laptop wasn’t working, so I lugged my heavy old desktop computer in from the garage so I could still chat with him online. I pushed the monitor onto the tabletop, and scratched it in the process–and every time I see it, I remember Africa.

But even all that still won’t explain this table. The hours and hours of homeschool lessons I taught there. The countless rounds of Clue and Monopoly, and of course, meals! We don’t eat fancy, but we do eat together, and dinners there have shaped my kids and solidified our family and filled my heart with treasured memories.

The “heavy solid wood dining table, painted black” is also my place for meeting with God. I go there in the mornings to talk with Him in His word and sip hot tea out of my favorite cup–the green and yellow one with a chip on one side. Apparently I like things with marks and scratches. I often sit there to write, too, because the table gives ample space for spreading out books and binders and yellow legal pads.

Last summer, when my friends gathered around the table for Bible study, one of them complimented, “I love your rustic table!” Until that moment, I didn’t realize just how rustic it had become. It isn’t smooth and shiny anymore, and it won’t bring nearly the money that it once did.

Finally, I settled on a fair dollar amount and posted my ad. Today, a beautiful young couple came over to check it out. They’re engaged–getting married in two weeks, and buying furniture for their new home. I loved them both immediately, and knew they were just right for my table. The bride and her fiance whispered shyly for a moment, and I heard her say, “My mom can help me fix it.” It was all I could do to not cry in front of them–tears of joy for what has been, and tears of joy for what will be.

They loaded the table in the back of their truck and drove away. Maybe tonight they’re sanding off the bumpy patch where the girls spilled nail polish remover. Maybe tomorrow they’ll repaint it, and it will be smooth and shiny once more. And they’ll sit around it, and play Clue and Monopoly, and eat not-fancy dinners, and slowly the table will shape their family, too.

Over time, they’ll make their own marks and scratches in the heavy solid wood dining table, but that’s okay. The marks and scratches make it even more valuable." 

God bless you, my dear friends, scratches, chips and all, you are loved and cared for by our LORD!  big marv

 (shared with permission) You can see more about Amy at her blog: http://amystorms.com )