It takes no real talent to tear something or someone down, nor does it take very much time. Anyone can do it. Yet to create something – someone – new takes planning, thought, desire, an eye for detail, and a willing heart. Few do that.
I’ve a classmate friend who does that. She sees design, beauty, and possibilities in old, unwanted, soiled, worn-down and worn-out things, and creates beautiful, unique, often stunning things from them. She takes things others for whatever reason have discarded and gives them new life. She does this with such a loving touch that, even if you knew what they were before and recognize the basic things, the new creations my friend and classmate crafts reflect the hand, eye, mind, and spirit of a master.
At one time I had saved a few pictures of her more amazing artistry. Across the intervening years they’ve been lost to time, but I recall their uniqueness. It seemed to me each new design she came up with had all her focus; it was as if that piece, that object was her sole effort, and all her energy and her creative joy and flow was spent on that one creation.
The application isn’t hard to make, is it? That’s exactly what God does with us. He takes old, unwanted, soiled, worn-down and worn-out lives like ours and creates things in and through us totally new, completely unique, and beautiful.
In my opinion, there’s a little touch of the Divine in anyone like my friend who takes the time and makes the effort to infuse great value in things and people others decide have none.
(c) D. Dean Boone, November 2021