Reclaimed and Repurposed!
Dan Kunz
A lot of people are into reclaiming items and repurposing them in homes and yards. Perhaps you’ve seen wooden pallets painted as American flags or old wheelbarrows tipped over on lawns to look like a load of flowers has spilled out. If you like the look and are somewhat creative, the sky is the limit!
My wife and I just moved into our long-anticipated new home last week. Since we both fit the above description, you can find many repurposed and reclaimed pieces in our new home. It’s a log home with lots of wood finishes and décor. We call the “look” we’re trying to achieve either “rustic chic” or “elegant rustic” – in other words, cool old stuff!
The cabinets in one bathroom are made from barnwood my daughter, her boyfriend, and I salvaged from a barn we torn down. Our kitchen cabinets are made of wood from an old Southern tobacco shed. The light fixture above a bathroom vanity is an old 2 ½ gallon gas can with the bottom cut out. Two other lights are made from metal funnels. Perhaps the most amazing example is the entertainment center in which our TV sits. The cabinetry is made from wood most people would burn. It has lots of nail holes, rusty nails, and even some big chunks missing. The cabinet maker managed, through love, skill, and time to make it a thing of beauty. It’s amazing!
Every time I look at that cabinet, I’m reminded of the Master Carpenter. God, through love, skill, and time, has made us a thing of beauty. He used his Son (a real carpenter, we believe), to take people who are broken, worn out, beat up, stained, and fit to be thrown out, and reclaimed us! He took us off the burn pile and made us his own. Jesus himself knows the feeling – Matthew 21:42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?” Jesus was rejected by man, although his intention was to save man! Even today, many people consider Jesus to be something less than the Savior of the world - an imposter, a fake, a fraud. Because he was rejected, he knows how we feel. He knows how much it means to us to be reclaimed. Grace, truly, is amazing
It didn’t end there, though. Jesus didn’t just reclaim us. He also repurposes us. The reclamation took place over 2000 years ago. The repurposing is ongoing today. Our cabinets didn’t repurpose themselves. A skilled craftsman did that. Jesus takes us, his reclaimed children, and makes of us a new creation, made for deeds of service. Jesus says, “He’s pretty beat up, but I can make something out of him. She’s in bad shape, but I can put her to good use.”
Our most important “new” purpose is the “Great Commission” – sharing the Good News of salvation with all we meet. That’s not just a pastor’s or teacher’s or evangelist’s purpose, that’s the purpose of all who believe. That’s not the only new purpose, either. Another “group” purpose is helping those in need - the poor, the homeless, the downtrodden. We also have new purposes unique to our skills, abilities, and gifts – Christian parenting, congregational treasurer, Builder for Christ, etc.
I love my reclaimed and repurposed “stuff”! It makes people smile to see unwanted and discarded things given a new life and made useful again. Just as God was pleased at the end of six days of creation, I know God smiles when he sees his dear children reclaimed from the devil and repurposed as an important member of this world, serving Him and serving others.