Be willing to improve, update yourself

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up: do you not perceive it?"

-Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

I fondly remember my first DIY project, 50-some years ago. I was doing them before the phrase "DIY" was invented.

Years ago, I noticed the finish on the old dresser sitting in my room was wearing off, yet the drawers were still sturdy. So, I decided to refinish it, even though I'd never done anything like this before.

After hours of scraping and sanding off the old finish, I thought I'd never see the bare wood. But I stuck with it and eventually I was applying a new coat of stain and varnish.

I smiled to myself as I looked at my first DIY project. No one would ever believe the dresser sitting in my baby's room was an old, worn-down leftover.

I was amazed at the "treasure" I found just by taking that old dresser and sanding down the wood, smoothing out the chipped edges, and covering it over with a nice, brown stain finish. It looked just like new and it looked nice in the room I was fixing up for my first born.

The whole project taught me that I had a knack for turning trash into treasures. Over the years, I refinished many pieces of furniture. I also learned some helpful hints to easily remove the old paint and stain.

Sometimes we feel cracked, chipped and broken by the circumstances of our lives. It could be that our job skills become outdated or unmarketable and we face giving up a job we loved. To learn something new or start over seems impossible.

We carry old remnants from our past relationships that we think we'll never get over. We start to view ourselves the same way I viewed my old dresser: as something leftover and useless. But we can't get into self-pity. There's no power to move forward with that mindset. As I looked at my worn-out dresser in a new way, we must rework our lives.

Many people in the Bible felt the same way. The prophet Elijah suffered from depression after a great victory. He probably thought his career was over. God restored each of these people, as they were willing to change their ways and turn to God for strength to move forward.

God doesn't throw us away because we feel broken and hurt by disappointment. He wants us to bring new things into our lives. He is waiting to show us the hidden treasure that is still within us. Let us open our mind to God and let him show us the potential we possess.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.