Polishing Me New

A few weeks ago

I dug out my old antique tea set,

in preparation for my daughter's first birthday party. 

The tea set was a wedding gift to my parents in 1984.

It was passed down to me from my mom.

When I pulled it down off the shelf

I saw that it was well tarnished. 

I knew it would be,

but it still left me feeling discouraged

at the work that was ahead of me.

Gathering my polish and rags,

I took the set out to the front step.

I dipped the rag into the polish

and began working away.

Using small circles, making my way

over the tarnish.

Watching it go from

dingy and gray,
 into a beautiful shiny silver.

Some spots were harder than others;

I had to use more effort to work out those spots.

In the end,

my old tarnished tea set 

was like new again.

As if the 32 years 

before never existed. 

It sparkled and shined.

It got me thinking - 

 I am so much like this old tea set.

Tarnished, damaged, 

in need of help.

Our Heavenly Father

sits down and polishes me new again.

Taking care to gently work away

all my tarnished bits.

Taking extra effort to work away

the chronic problem areas

that I won't give up easily. 

When He is done,

I am shiny and new in His eyes yet again.

That every single day,

I wake up and am given a fresh new start.

That in His eyes,

the sins of yesterday

have been polished away.

There is no sign of the years

of 'tarnish' before. 

It took hard of work

to get into all those crevices and small parts
to get out all the grime.

When I saw just how tarnished that set was,

I sighed,

anticipating a big job ahead.

Yet,
 God does this for me everyday.

I am sure that several times a day

He looks at me shaking His head,

anticipating how much
He will need to wipe clean
again.

Again and again and again.