What's In Your Hand?

I believe in redemption. My pastor, Dan Scott pointed this out to me after I told him about my first memory. This memory is kind of embarrassing, and unbelievable. But I’ll tell you it is true.

So I am in my crib. Not in the hizz-ouse kind of crib, I mean I was in my crib. I was a baby. Is is a summer day and my dad is working outside the window in the vegetable garden. I must have been very bored just lying there when I discovered something in my diaper that looked to me like, with some help, it could be a fun toy. So I rolled my poop into a ball and played with it. Now there are some you asking yourselves “If he really did that, why in the name of all that is Holy would he tell anyone?”

It helps make my point. Ever since that day I have been taking shit and attempting to make something useful from it. I’ll start with some small examples. It is very important to Amanda and me that our environment be beautiful and peaceful. We love nice art, furnishings, and tasteful décor. Our budget, however, restricts our purchasing power a bit, even if it does not stop us from having lovely things.




Here is our den. The chandelier was my great-grandmother Bentley’s. It used to be orange, gold, and avacado. I sprayed it white and then I saw one almost exactly like it on the cover of a very trendy home décor magazine. The little octagonal coffee table was a free (marked down from five dollars) yard sale find that I painted with some leftover paint from another project. The couch was Amanda’s grandmother, Annie’s, and I made the slip cover from some sheets that we weren’t using. That puts us at exactly no money so far. The rug we bought at the Atlanta mart at a discount and there are a few accessories that came from Ikea. The rest of it was unwanted from relatives or something we found very cheap.



This is some art I painted onto a piece of plywood that my father-in-law was going to throw away. I already had all the paint, and I borrowed the tree idea from something I saw on a TV show. The birdie idea came from my awesome friend, Stephanie Kling. Check out her great blog at birdsandtrees@typepad.com.



This is another piece of art that I painted onto some scrap wood. The Lamp was less than thirty bucks at a lighting dealer’s close out sale at the Atlanta Mart.




This incredible piece of furniture was given to us by a neighbor, who was about to trash it. All it needed was some liquid nails and a clamp overnight. It has served as our kitchen pantry, linen closet, and is currently pulling dining room duty housing our Vietri dishes. (all wedding gifts)



Here is our bed. I made the headboard out of a fence that had fallen down in our back yard. I bought the frame at Salvation Army. The guy wanted twenty-five and I got it for ten just because I asked my favorite negotiating question: “Is that the best you can do?” The art above the headboard… you can probably guess.

That is only the start. Our house is full of things that nobody wanted. And it is very beautiful if I do say so myself.

So I believe in taking things that had no value and restoring them. Isn’t that what Jesus does for us?

Sometimes I remember growing up as the grandson of an extremely popular football coach and not being able to play sports to save my life. In Arab, Alabama a boy who can’t play sports can start to feel pretty useless if he isn’t careful. Now I know that what I’m trying to redeem is myself! In taking all this useless junk and turning it into something of value, I am attempting to right a wrong. I am doing my life’s work. I am finding redemption.

Back to Pastor Dan. On Sunday he told a story of a man who gave away a shirt that had been very precious to him. When his son asked him about it, the man referred to the proper way to offer a sacrifice as outlined in the Scripture. Then Dan asked us to consider what we have in our hands.

What do I have in my hand? An old chandelier that nobody wants, some plywood, some paint, a fence that fell down? Now I have a pretty house. Now I have some friends to entertain in my pretty house. Now I can bless my friends and share the love of Christ with everyone I know… it goes on and on. What is in your hand? A life that needs to be redeemed? Turn to Hymn number… wait a minute, you can’t give an altar call in a blog! But He will take you just as you are.

You can hear/watch Dan’s sermon online at christchurchnashville.org free.