wood plugs
My dad built a buffet table a few years ago to fill an awkward space in my entryway. My month long furniture shopping mission left me empty-handed. The pieces I found were too big, too small, too expensive, or made with less than stellar craftsmanship. So my dad created the just right piece. Solid wood with a simple oil finish. A one of a kind. Made because he loves me.
Bored holes
My favorite part of the piece is not the beautiful walnut top or the fancy soft close hardware on the drawers. My favorite part is two little wood plugs sandwiched into the side of the buffet. Two little plugs needed because two drill bits went a little too deep while joining the pieces of wood together. Instead of forming a shallow notch to hold up a shelf, the drill bored a pair of quarter inch holes straight through the side of the buffet. The shelf laid on the floor and the contents of the cabinet were no longer hidden from view. The holes had been made and there was no erasing them from sight.
But my dad had a plan to bring the buffet back to life.
He added the wood plugs to stop daylight from shining into the cabinet and provide a new foundation for the shelf notches to be made on.
The plugs brought new life to a piece that would otherwise stand broken with a lopsided shelf. The plugs fixed the damaged wood, allowing for the table to serve its’ purpose in my home. The buffet serves to stores bags and electronics out of sight from folks entering my home.
The no longer perfect buffet table means a lot to me not just because it was made by my dad.
The table means a lot because in its’ broken state, My Dad made it whole.
Although most folks entering my home see the craftsmanship of the walnut top and drawers, the plugs are the first thing I see when walking through my front door. They are the true beauty of the piece!
Plugged up
Isn’t that what our Father does for us? We were made by God, the creator of all things. We fell deep, by the labors our own hands and in our broken state, we were made whole by Him! Jesus hanging on the cross was all it took for our broken bodies to be made whole. By choosing to believe in Him, He plugs up the empty places sin leaves in our souls with His perfect love much like the wood dowels plugged up the holes in the side of the buffet. We are left whole, fully able to serve His purpose because He filled our brokenness. We speak about the love filled stories He plugged us up with. We freely give away the resources God gave us. We step to fill another up like God filled us up.
Because Even in our imperfections, Jesus makes us whole.
Our fall did not end us. We have gained new life. He is the first thing we get to see every time we come home.
He is the true beauty of our life.
But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy. So he gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God’s grace has saved you.
— Ephesians 2: 4-5