The Purpose...

That word. Purpose. Makes our minds race when we think about it. Probably sends it in different directions too. We start to think about our purpose, maybe the purpose of something we dealt with today. Maybe we feel like we don't realize what ours is.

You know the best way to find your purpose, re-purpose something...seriously! When we see ourselves re-create something that seemed broken, unattractive, maybe it used to be valuable but not any more. When we apply our effort and energy to something that lacks purpose and find a new one for it, we are sending out the power to realize or reconfirm our own. That is what re-purposing does for me anyway.

Every piece of furniture I work on has a story. Every single piece. Some have come from someone who is no longer with us and has gone to be with God, while other pieces needed a new home due to being a bad reminder of a situation or person. I'm glad to receive any piece that I get.

When I say every piece has a story it's not just one that comes from the individual that I buy the piece from, but it's what the piece tells me. I recently worked on a piece of furniture that had quite a story. After bringing it home, I spent some time looking over it and touching the edges, opening drawers and just getting to know the piece. It seemed like a flash back type slide show that started to happen. I saw a young girl probably about 10-12 years old. I saw her putting on nail polish and lip gloss. Her creativity with glitter and labels of the drawers, "junk" that separated her valuables from the lesser of importance. I saw her crying and felt the sadness of her knowing she was about to be sent away. The emotion was overwhelming.

As I approached the left corner of the dresser, I saw blood spattered on the side. This piece came from severe heartbreak, but it was about to bless someone's home beyond belief and cause an emotion of pure joy.

I have a client that was dealing with the loss of a loved one and in search of the perfect piece of furniture for her home. I showed her this piece and asked her what she thought about it. She sent me a picture of what she wanted paint wise and I was off to get paint! I showed her a couple of colors before we came across the one she wanted. I ran the idea by her to dedicate the piece to her loved one so he would always be with her. She agreed and was touched by the idea. Her loved one was her grandfather and 1 month before he passed away, he accepted Christ. This man re-purposed his soul at 82 years old.🙌

She had 2 tables to match and paint as well to make a complete set.

This took me about 4 days from start to finish to complete all of the pieces. I had never done a single color like this before and it turned out awesome. I picked out a beautiful "floral fire" arrangement to stage the pieces with and then let her know they were ready to come home.

I was so excited for her to get them, especially considering the journey and memory behind the dresser. She arrived and was amazed by what she saw. I showed her the details in the pieces and designs inside of the mahogany stained wooden drawers. She was delighted and then I told her, "You can do the honors." I turned the dresser around and she saw the mural in the back that I did for her grandfather. She was very touched and thanked me for the dedication to him. When she got home, she sent 5 pictures of how they looked in their new home and the funny thing was, they matched everything she had in the room!

This brings me to the point of the title to this blog...The Purpose. Sometimes purpose is not given, it is found, it is created. It is formed from the giving of a new opportunity accompanied by a history of pain. Purpose is not always defined in what someone thinks life should be. Purpose is found through change and resurfacing the idea of what something looked like originally. Sometimes to find our purpose, we have to experience what this young lady and her dresser went through. Abuse, neglect, tears, blood shed and a process that sends us to our rightful place. God uses everything to speak to us and I believe this piece was used to speak to me and show me a meaning of purpose so that I could in turn, share it with you.

I grew up similar to this young lady and weirdly enough, had a dresser that looked identical to this one. My mother was extremely abusive and I was definitely rejected and disowned by her. In the end I was given over to beauty, growth, strength and a purpose that I would have never known if those events didn't happen. I refuse to hate and conform to the abuse that anyone sends my way.

So be grateful about your journey no matter how sad or hurtful it has been or is.

Your purpose is greater than anything that should have broken you but didn't.

The Purpose.