Finishing Furniture

I had to take the plunge and buy the boys a new dresser. They needed a long dresser with lots of drawers, and my favorite unfinished furniture store had a great deal on a big dresser. So it's sitting in the room, waiting for me to get started on one of my favorite tasks...finishing furniture!

I first discovered this shortly after my husband and I were separated six years ago. We were going through some very trying, fearful times in our family, and the dining room table, which had been used for 20 years when we bought it 13 years ago, was worn, ugly looking, and full of impressions from the kids' homework through the years. As I sorted through my life with all its frustrations, thought through the options for our future, and sought to keep myself from going absolutely insane, I decided to sand off all the finish and start over. It was physical, messy and exactly what I needed. Originally, I thought I would try to make the table light colored (instead of it's original mahogany), but it turned out that the knots were too darkly stained to look attractive, so I ended up putting the mahogany on anyway, after sanding the table yet again.

During the process of doing all this, I pondered many things and prayed often. I thought about why I always seemed to choose men who were bad for me. I thought about all the anger and frustration I'd experienced at the hands of people who were supposed to care about me. I considered why I hadn't thought to stand up for myself or anyone else until those actions were directed at the children. I looked often at the picture of Christ that hangs in our dining room and thought about the qualities I and the children needed in our home. I made resolutions and promises to myself then that I still think about each time we eat at that table. I intended that love, happiness, prayer and peace (note: I did not say "peace and quiet!")would be found in our home, along with laughter, encouragement, and understanding. I would stamp out criticism and lack of respect. I determined that should I find someone that was insane enough to WANT to marry me, I would look for certain things...a desire to serve others quietly and without fanfare, a Christlike love and tenderness, a strong faith, patience and kindness. (Is there such a man?? If there is, why is he single? ) Most importantly to me, whoever I marry must love my children with all their gifts, talents, faults and idiosyncrasies.

The table when it was finished looked amazing. It was imperfect, and you could tell it wasn't done by a professional, but the important thing was that I had done it, and to me it was a symbol of my personal progress. I was grateful for the ache in my arms, the soreness of my back, the stain in my hair, and my fingernails that I just couldn't get clean. To me they were badges of honor, and proof that I had worked (and thought) hard.

Ever since that time, I have finished several pieces of furniture. None of them have turned out perfectly, but each one is a joy to me. It takes a generic piece of furniture and makes it ours. The kids enjoy helping me, and the drips on the sides, or the unevenness of the stain are hardly relevant. I am after all, raising children and not selling furniture. :-)