We've been polishing old silverware around here, and it got us all thinking, about silverware and people, about investing in the seemingly mundane tasks of life. See, we never knew which ones would be savable until we did the polishing. Some of the worst became the most beautiful, and some of the "easy" ones didn't shine up so well as we expected.
It's been a good reminder. Or several good reminders.
Jesus recognizes the true silver in people, beneath all the tarnished messes of our lives.
Sometimes those folks with the worst looking lives? Turn out to be the sweetest in the end. Every piece is worth working with. We just hope we're getting to them all in time.
Maybe we didn't go looking for these pieces, and maybe they came into our lives when we, well, didn't really want to spend time on polishing silver. Maybe it took a change of heart and some outside encouragement to get us going. But think how delighted the Giver would be to see us working over every detail, loving every gift, rescuing every perishing piece. Better late than never, don't you think?
The tarnish may be thick and it may take a lot of work to remove. The results may even be unpredictable. Yet think how many beautiful pieces would be lost if we never tried.
I will always remember polishing silverware together -- Other than polishing with my mother a little here and there, this was my first real effort with my own set. Hopefully I will also always remember this good lesson!
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