Stained to be pure

I have mixed feelings about my dad's day off. Usually it entails him waking us earlier than usual and setting us on jobs in yardwork and housework.

Yesterday, despite the rain, was no different. I went outside to find Dylan scraping old paint off the porch and later priming and painting it yet again. Caleb was sent to work on the shed.

My task? Staining wood to be put in our kitchen where we knocked out a wall this winter.

I had never stained wood before, but it seemed pretty simple after Dad explained it and showed me what to do.

I jumped right in, honestly feeling like an artist even though I was simply smearing a dark, sticky substance onto a board with a rag.

Double and triple checking the edges and the evenness, I continued until all the boards were successful and beautifully stained.

Dad came into the garage to evaluate my work, said it was okay, and proceeded to show me how to put on the shiny, sealant stuff. (Nice terminology, huh?)

After one coat yesterday, and another today. Dad seemed disappointed. I was scrubbing my hands with baby oil to get the sticky stuff off when he came in and said the wood wasn't dark enough.

'Not dark enough?' I thought. 'You said it was fine yesterday.'

Staring at the not-quite-perfect wood, I started thinking about the similarities between me and this plank.

Just wait, it'll make sense in a minute!

We start off like a simple blank piece of wood. Sure, we are already sinful, but other outside influences haven't found us yet, stained us if you will.

See what I'm saying?

We are vulnerable to outside influences, and as Christians we have to choose to allow only good influences in, like God and His word.

We need to dive into God's word to allow it to stain us, change us. But one coat is not enough, even after double and triple checking. Every time we read the Bible, we can learn something new. Even pastors learn new things when they study the Word. If we allow good things to seep into our souls, we will be ready for the sealant at the end of our lives, which will hopefully mean heaven rather than the hell that we deserve. And it's no quick feat, it requires a lot of time and diligence.

Let good things influence you. Let the Word seep into you every single day, no matter how difficult. God wants to stain us, which will actually make us more pure in His eyes.

I don't know if this metaphor made any sense to you, but it just popped into my head and something told me to share it:)

Thanks for reading!