Many times over the years I have seen some beautiful old item and think, ‘I can restore that!’ It has not always turned out very well! Like the old wooden ladder-back chair that had intricate carving on the back. It was so, blackened from years of neglect that it tempted me to restore it! Of course the first step is to clean and strip the wood. I had it out in my garage where I would spend some time each evening. After a few weeks of going out to the garage each evening after the children were in bed to do a little more scrubbing, scrapping and stripping the chair, with precious little visible change…I gave up.
I also had an old trunk that tempted me. Not the one in the photo, by the way, but one that was very similar to the ‘before’ photo. After leaving it opened in the sun for weeks, spraying it, and bleaching it, the musty odor still lingered…I gave up!
Restoration is not an easy endeavor. The purpose of a restoration is to bring something back to it’s point of departure. In March of 2020 we had a departure from our ‘normal.’ A pandemic had reached our shores. The experts told us to stop shaking hands, wash and sanitize hands often, wear a mask and stay home! That’s when we entered into our ‘new normal’.
Well, it appears that now the virus is slowing and we are having the restrictions removed or reduced. Churches are re-gathering, malls are opening, salons are cutting and styling, restaurants welcome you inside, and even our local parks are allowing us to walk, play on the playground, and practice sports. In fact, we went for a lovely walk in the park today.
I call this a ‘restoration.’ We are returning to the point of our departure! We always have been active people in America in the nice weather. Outside, or in, we like to gather together, talk to one another, play games with each other, and generally catch up on each other’s lives.
During the time we were in a ‘dormant’ condition, beaches were rebuilt with sand that had washed away, since no one was on them. Roads were repaired since traffic was at a minimum. Stores and other facilities were ‘deep cleaned’, since there were few or no patrons. Even our homes got extra attention as we were home and had time to do the projects we never found time to do. Our children were played with, cooked for, talked to, and taught more than ever as they were in our care more than before since schools and day care’s were closed.
For many of us we caught up with friends and relatives we had not talked to in a while. We took extra time to rest, reflect on our lives, and replenish our goals for the next years. We tried new recipes (bread was a big one until all the yeast on store shelves disappeared), new crafts, (my grandson learned to sew), made school and college plans, dreamed of writing projects and future vacations. In fact, this blog was birthed during the pandemic and my devotional book, ‘daily gems to spark your spirit’ was published!
The media is often calling this a ‘new normal’. I believe we are being invigorated, refreshed, renewed, and restored. While my attempts at restoring things did not always turn out well, that trunk in the photo turned out great! We will also be restored, and even better than before. Why? Because God said so;
Haggai 2:9 9‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”
‘New normal?’ Nope! Restoration to a new and improved USA!
Let it be so, Lord!
Question; If you have learned something new, done something you have been wanting to do, etc. Please share it here.
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