History

Recently I was given a very special piece of family history. It is a love seat that belonged to my great-great grandmother Mathilda.

Isn't it pretty? It just happened to "match" our decor in the new house and I am so excited to have it.

It was handmade and has beautiful, intricate details. Much like we are made - it was made with care, designed to be special and unique.

As you can see it is also worn and some of the edges have taken a little beating over the years. But those marks are a sign of the pieces' character. Reminding us that no two pieces are alike. Each worn in a different way and each reflecting its own beauty.

And so are we aren't we? Each of us have had our own life experiences and many of those things have made us who we are today.

I am grateful for all of the things - good and bad - that have shaped me and created the woman I am today.  I am not perfect by any means and I too have some rough edges.

But God has been faithful to me - reminding me that I am a thing of beauty - His beauty. I tend to forget that at times and focus on the rough edges instead of the "whole" of who I am becoming.

Hopefully as I walk with Him and seek to know Him more I will continue to reflect Him in all areas of my life. That is my life's goal. It won't always be easy and there are times that I question God and ask Him "why" bad things have to happen. And although I won't always get an answer to those questions I do know that He continues to use those times in my life to refine my character.

For that I am grateful. This piece of my families history is a reminder to me that this refinement process helps me build a heritage of faith and trust in God that I can pass on to my children.

So how about you - is there an important piece of your history that reminds you of God's refinement in your life?