The One With the Wonky Wall

We are working on transforming the inside of our home into a country cottage style look. We are using a combination of wheat and whitewash wood planks and so far we are loving the outcome. We came across a connection and he had a LOT of boxes of the exact whitewash wood we are using. The even better part was that he was selling them CHEAP. Can I just say that God also cares about the little things in our lives? This is a prime example. I had been picking up a couple boxes each pay day to work on a wall here and there little by little all winter and then - wowzers! This connection is made and we have 73 boxes of whitewash wood! We would like to do the whole upstairs area in the whitewash wood so this was HUGE. On that note, if you think something is too small or not important enough to bring it to God, stop. God cares about every single detail of our lives. Even our wood wall projects.

Luke 12:6-7 "What is the price of five sparrows - two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbers. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows."

With all this wood available, we decided to go ahead and get this awkward space knocked out of the park. Shouldn't be too difficult right?

Every other wall had gone up well and the wheat wood has been really nice to work with so far. I went ahead and got going on it. I truly didn't know what I was in for with this wall. I do love heights and a good challenge but I had no idea I was actually in for a true challenge on this one. See the excitement?

The thing with the whitewash wood boards is they are not even and perfectly shaped like the wheat boards. They are a little more....well....wonky. The edges don't meet evenly. They are crooked. They are oddly spaced. One board will be 4" on one end and narrow down to 3 1/2" on the other end. They are not as easy to just throw up on the wall. Add tight quarters, really tall walls, and a personality that likes her projects to mostly be perfectly lined up and precise to that mix and you have a recipe for mayhem.

It started out well. The first few rows of boards were working well together. I tried to pick boards that matched at least pretty well with each other. It was going well for the most part. We had a few frustrating rows but overall it was going pretty well. It was coming together.

Until it wasn't. For some reason the last wall in this little area just went bonkers. The boards wouldn't line up perfectly no matter which board I picked. Walking up and down the tall ladder was taking its tole since I kept going up and down with different boards to try and match them perfectly. No matter which board I picked, they just wouldn't line up. There were gaps. I didn't like the gaps. I wasn't happy with the gaps. I started trying to fill them in with splices and that just looked worse so I took the splices out. I finally gave in to exhaustion and sat down. I sat and stared at the wall and everything I was feeling about the wall welled up inside and came out in tears. Why are the boards on this ONE wall just not working...at...All!?!

I took a break and talked with my family for a while. My son reassured me that it was truly looking really good. My daughter reminded me that a painter doesn't look at a half painted masterpiece in disgust because it doesn't look good. It's just not finished yet. My husband reminded me we are supposed to take a day off for rest. Blah, blah - Yeah I know...and he was right. (don't tell him I said that)

Ok - keep going - it's just not finished yet. I decided to just keep going. As I kept going I hoped it would ultimately look ok when it was all done because I really REALLY did not want to have to take it all down and start over.

Sometimes when we are in the middle of a mess, no matter what it is we are facing in life, it truly is good to keep in mind that God isn't finished yet. Just keep going. Keep praying. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Keep trusting God first and foremost. He's got you. He's with you, walking right beside you, in every situation. When things get crazy rough, trust God. The storms may seem overwhelming, but the God of the whole entire world is right there with you and will help you get through it. Just hold on to Him and keep going.

Philippians 1:6 "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."

I kept going. Board by board. Piece by piece. Nail by nail. I kept on keeping on. Sometimes when things just don't feel like they are lining up or if they aren't what you think they should be, remember, God isn't finished. We don't see the whole picture when it's only half painted. God does. God knows. God loves us and has the whole picture. Trust in God.

I did it. I finished the wonky wall and I truly love it now that it is complete. I see the whole wall and it came together beautifully. I even love its wonkiness. I love that it's not perfect. I love that it is a forever reminder in our home that when things we are going through seem overwhelming or like we just can't get through them, God knows and sees the final masterpiece. Our wonky wall is a forever reminder to always trust God through the storms of life.

Isaiah 43:2 "When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fires of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you."