tarnished.

Today I was polishing many pieces of silver for a wedding that is coming up in just a couple of short weeks (!), and in the midst of it all, God began to speak to my heart. In the picture above, you can see two teapots, one very tarnished, and the other less so. The shinier of the two started out just as bad as the darker one. But with a little bit of polish and a lot of elbow grease, its shine has begun to return. It still has areas that need work in order to look its best, but it has come a long way...wouldn't you agree?

We are much the same. We start out tarnished, wondering if there is any potential left in us to shine. But God brings out the polish and begins to work in our lives. Sometimes we forget how much God has done, because all we see is the tarnish that has yet to be worked away. We forget that we are beginning to shine, despite the work that needs to be done. A work in progress like these two teapots...with much potential. God, our maker, knows that potential and seeks to bring it out. It is not an easy process, but is one that takes meticulous work. In the end, it is worth it. We end up like new, like the one below.