So often I have met people who feel broken, abused, or thrown away.

In August of 2000, I moved my family to a northern suburb of Indianapolis. We were very excited about the home the Lord provided for us. To date, it is still our favorite of those we have owned. It had a raised front porch. That porch was perfect for rockers (the chairs, not the music style). The problem was, we didn't own any.

My Mother believed as we did, and saw to it that we got them. She called it a housewarming gift, but it was really her way of meeting a need that she knew we could not. She found a supplier of double-seated and regular rocking chairs, and bought us one of each. I don't remember how we got them home, I just know they were very bulky.

We spent many hours in those chairs over the next six years. We'd go out during rainstorms, and rock while sipping a cup of coffee, and just listen to the rain. Other times, we would hang out there with our kids, talking over issues, major or minor, it didn't matter. We loved that porch.

I remember BJ doing homework out there. I wrote messages (sermons) out there. Whitney and a friend often sat out there to talk. Lauren retreated there when she was upset. Sometimes it was just a place to escape to.

When we moved to Monrovia, we packed the chairs up and took them with us. They were a bit weathered already, and I should have re-treated them. However, I never seemed to get around to that.

In Monrovia, we had no covered porch. The rockers still got a great deal of use, but they began to weather hard. I felt I had waited too long to repair or restore them. Though they were still able to hold a load, they did not look very nice.

That is often how we look. The battle of life can be a difficult one. We do get battered and bruised. Sometimes, we bring it on ourselves by making bad choices. Other times, those around us make bad choices, and we pay the price for it. No matter the cause, we get weathered, and feel defeated. We struggle to find much value in and of ourselves. We even feel others see no use for us.

Incredibly, our Lord never views anyone as a lost cause! He always sees through the broken exterior, and can view our untapped potential. Because of Him, and His view of us, we can be reworked, refined, renewed.

I opted to leave those broken down chairs behind when I moved this time. I struggled with the decision, and feared breaking my Mother's heart. With all we had been through, and the uncertainty of the future, it just didn't make any sense to take them along, and pay for the extra weight on the moving truck. I left them.


Around the time I left, my close friend Lowell came over to help pack. He offered to purchase them. I was embarrassed because they were in such sad shape. I gave them to him, and considered it a blessing that he wanted them. Like our Savior, he saw the potential that was held within, though the outside was a mess.

This past weekend, Deanna and I spent our nights in their home. They were very gracious to us while we were there.

Adorning the front patio of their home out in the country were two retooled rocking chairs. I know it must have taken many hours, but I can tell you it was worth it. They were freshly painted and sturdy. Ready for new life, many more hours of enjoyment, and the making of new memories.

Like Lowell's redemptive view of something that seemed ready to be discarded, Christ looks upon you and I in that very same way. We may need a lot of hours of work and restoration, but the project is highly worthwhile. Never give up on yourself, or those the Lord has put in your path. Allow Him to work, and you will see beautiful results!

dad