The first time I laid eyes on this dresser, I saw everything wrong with it - scratches, dull wood, missing shine, years of wear & tear. Honestly, it would've been easy to overlook it, maybe even throw it out. But something in me knew it still had potential. 

So I sanded. I stripped away the layers of what it had been. I covered my hands in dust and leaned into the slow, messy process of renewal. Fresh paint, new hardware, a little time and care - and it was completely transformed. Maybe not perfect, but absolutely restored. 

A new creation with a new purpose. 

As I stood back and looked at the finished piece, I realized: this isn't just a story about furniture. It's a story about us. 

Because isn't that exactly what God does with us?

We carry scars, old wounds, broken places, layers of mistakes and regrets. Sometimes, we feel like we're too far gone or too worn down to ever be restored. But God doesn't see what's broken as worthless. He sees potential. He sees beauty waiting beneath the surface. 

He strips away what no longer serves us. He sands down those rough edges. He brings fresh color to places that had gone dull. He takes us as we are - dust and all - and makes us new. 

It's not quick. It's not clean. And sometimes, it's uncomfortable to be reshaped. But in His hands, the broken becomes beautiful. The discarded becomes cherished. The old becomes new. 

The dresser in the picture may just look like wood and paint, just something to store clothes in - but to me, it's a tangible reminder of grace. A reminder that God isn't finished with me - or with you. 

As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17 - 
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 

And just like that dresser, my story isn't over. Your story isn't over. 

All we have to do is hand over those broken pieces and allow God to turn them into something beautiful - something beyond our wildest dreams. 

Something new.