ONE BOARD AT A TIME

Mackenzie and Madison are going to get a new little sister in June. In anticipation of Baby Anabel’s arrival, Maddie is relinquishing her crib and graduating to sharing a trundle bed with Mackenzie. To make the transition a little more exciting, Holly (Mom) decided to take the opportunity to redecorate their room. Of course, the excited grandparents had to join in the fun. Holly painted the wall’s a beautiful purple then stenciled their names in deeper purple. A princess border and decals of Cinderella and Belle completed the wall décor. Grandma Niswonger contributed a new mattress, while Grandma and Grandpa Gilbert bought matching sheets, pillows and blankets to dress a bed fit for any little princess. Then came Dad (Phil) and Grandpa Niswonger’s part; a new Pergo floor.

We arrived in Gladstone, Thursday night in the middle of a snow storm. The girls were jumping up and down, waiting at the door to greet us. After hugs and kisses, Steve began to unload the car. Mackenzie excitedly asked what Grandpa was carrying in his arms, hoping for her usual surprise gift. Her mom explained that it was her new floor. “Where,” she asked in a puzzled voice. “In the box,” answered Holly. It still did not register how her floor could be in a box. The next day I went shopping with Holly, Mackenzie and Madison while Phil and Steve laid down a beautiful new floor before the trundle bed arrived. Mackenzie was amazed when we arrived back home to see her room transformed into a giant dance floor, great for twirling, pirouettes, and ice skating. Then the bed arrived, was made cozy and inviting with the new bedding and the other furniture found its place in the room. It was time to go to sleep, so we left with promises to come back for breakfast Saturday morning and say our final goodbyes. When we arrived for breakfast, both girls had to once again show off their new room. Mackenzie told Grandpa all about her new room and informed him that “the floor was made one board at a time.”

If Phil and Steve had laid the floor without the proper preparation, the floor would have been uneven, full of bumps and crooked. The old carpet was removed, nails and staples were pulled out of the underlayment and dirt and trash had to be swept away. A new pad was unrolled, the floor installed with special tools and the finish pieces had to be cut to the precise measurements. Once the proper steps were followed, the finished product was a beautiful, solid floor that will be enjoyed for years.

Often like Mackenzie, we are overwhelmed with excitement over the dreams and promises we have in God. Instead of our vision of God’s promise, we are met with a long box. We can’t see how anything of value can come from such a nondescript box; we want the whole floor. God looks at the situation and sees the old man, stained with sin and dirt that must first be removed. He continues to work on us, pulling out the bitterness and smoothing the scars that have marked our life. He covers us with His blood then bestows His mercy and grace upon us in preparation for His perfect plan to be fulfilled in our lives. If we will let God make us ONE BOARD AT A TIME, we will enjoy a lifetime of blessing and fulfill our destiny and purpose.