A Little Paint Goes A Long Way

I hated my kitchen when we moved in. It felt dark and closed-in ,definitely not what I saw as the heart of my home. It was just a small empty , closed-in space with ugly cabinets and outdated appliances. So after a year and a half of debating, I painted the cabinets. We didn't redo the floors ,replace countertops or those outdated appliances and light fixtures. So my kitchen wouldn't qualify for a magazine" before and after" photo layout. But I do think it is worthy of a best room makeover. Renovation didn't involve shopping or remodeling. And while painting made a huge difference that isn't what transformed the space. " A little paint goes a long way"... but love goes a lot further.

" Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8

Valentine's Day my hubby took me out for a surprise lunch date... with our 3 year old little sidekick. As he kissed me goodbye before returning to work for the afternoon, little one yelled from the backseat, " Ooohhh yuck your kissing!" with his 3 year old lisp. In the next few hours before hubby came back home I had battles with homework, sibling arguments, whining over eating MORE Valentine candy and the same 3 year old slamming open and shut EVERY cabinet door in my kitchen while I throw something together for dinner. Meltdowns by 5pm was my trade off for pushing through naptime time in exchange for an " early" bedtime tonight. The truck pulls in the driveway and all come bounding in the door with Daddy, candies, cards and flowers in hand. I finish up the dishes, make lunches for the next day and wipe down countertops now covered with vases filled with irises and roses, boxes of chocolates truffles and a half empty bottle of wine. Backpacks and homework papers are stacked in corner shelf and our eternal trail of little toys line the floor. As I turn the light off, that afternoon felt like days ago. Once again our love for another blanketed our sporatic mishaps, anger and frustrations. Truly the " multitude of our sins" were covered today and are everyday by love.

Those cabinets don't seem to bother me as much any more. And it's not just because I love their color now. You didn't even notice all those horrible dents , scrapes and marks until they were highlighted with that beautiful light gray I painted them ! It never ceases to amaze me just how much paint reveals on a piece of furniture or canvas. The art is knowing what to reveal and what to cover . Somehow in the process those imperfections and mistakes are exactly what makes it beautiful. So God's love gently reveals and gracefully covers us and our shortcomings. And I know , our love for one another, should also be this way. Perhaps this is why Paul emphasizes " Above all, we love one another earnestly" . It's the art of loving earnestly everyday, not just on Valentine's I desire to master. For I know this is what has made our little kitchen the heart of our home.