My Broken Table Makeover {and a life lesson}

When we were preparing to move into our single wide mobile home, I knew that our dining table would not fit. I searched and searched until I found the perfect little round table. It was the absolute perfect fit and was just so dang cute. I loved it. Brandon really couldn’t see the potential- but he went and got it for me and we got it all set up in our home. Before I got around to painting it, we used it “as is”- and I told Brandon-“This is just the best table. I love sitting around it as a family. It is the perfect piece for here.” I really did say those words.

This was our table. A good little solid table. I have already re-covered the hideous seat covers in this picture.  But, can you see why I liked it so much?

Well, within the 2 weeks that I had the table, THIS happened. Note: Never leave nail polish remover sitting out, even if the top is closed!

But, I wasn’t worried about it because I knew it would be covered up!

So, about a week ago- I finally painted the table and chairs. I LOVED it. It was fun, vibrant and unique. It fit the funky style of this home perfectly, and I was happy to mark it off my list and see my kitchen shaping up.

I don’t have hardly any pictures as a whole, because well…I will share why in a minute. But here are a few that I had posted on Instagram from my phone.

It’s real life around here. I mean, can you see the crumb that made it into this pretty picture? And there is also already a spot on the fabric. #keepinitreal But seriously, I love this fabric…and I love the color of the chair too.

I also shared a sneak peek of the table top! I ADORE this top.

And a snap shot that I sent a friend of the finished product- because, well….it is the only picture I have of it all together, even though it isn’t staged or a good picture.

So, there it is. A little bit of a before and after… But the truth is, it didn’t last. This beautiful table that I was so proud of was only beautiful on the surface. While we were playing a game of Pie Face as a family {which I HIGHLY recommend if you want a good laugh}, this table flat out broke. One of the legs just split. There was no indication that it was not steady, so I had no idea. We weren’t sitting on the table or doing anything crazy…it just snapped.

I tried my hand at fixing it the best I could- and it stayed standing for 2 days…and then it fell again, only this time much worse. In fact, I almost think it may be broken beyond repair. Too much wood has broken and there are screws hung in there that will have to be sawed off, etc…  I had my handy woodworking friend look at it, and while we could probably get it back on, it won’t be “flush” and will look pretty rough. I haven’t decided if I want to try that or not yet.

So, as you can see- my table wasn’t nearly as sturdy as I thought. The truth is, no matter how pretty I painted it- it was destined to break and fall. It was cracked and breaking underneath the surface. Sure, I couldn’t see it, but it was happening anyway. To me, it looked beautiful and perfect. It seemed like the perfect match for my kitchen.

You know, this table truly reminds me so much about life. In fact, it brought to life a truth that I seriously always try to remember each day. That truth is this- You truly never know what someone is going through underneath the surface. People can put on such a good show on public or on social media. Their life can look picture perfect, and if we are not careful, we can compare ourselves to that image that they portray. We can find ourselves feeling inadequate or lacking, basing all of our feelings on a small snapshot of what someone wants us to see. I posted a quote on Facebook the other day, and it said, “The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.” Does that hit home? Sure does for me at times. But just like this table, so many people are broken, literally near falling apart at the seams, but they sure do look good on the outside. You would never know their struggles or their battles that are going on beneath the surface. They “paint” a pretty picture for all to see…and here we are, sitting here comparing ourselves…feeling less…feeling like we aren’t good enough. It truly doesn’t matter how pretty something is on the outside if it is ugly on the inside. The hard truth is, that ugliness IS going to be revealed in time. The brokenness can’t hold itself together for long. Even the slightest bit of pressure will make it crumble to the ground.

This reminds me of sin and what it does in our lives. We can hide it and make ourselves look pretty on the outside, but inside, that sin is eating away at us and will eventually make us crumble to the ground. That brokenness can’t be held together by false perceptions and masked reality. Many times, it takes us completely breaking for us to see that we need mending. We can’t do it on our own. When I tried to “patch” this table, it only broke worse the next time. I tried to fix it on my own, and I can’t. We can’t fix our own brokenness by ourselves either. Only God can mend what is broken and give complete healing and restoration. If we trust in Him, He will make us new.

He offers salvation freely to all who will accept it. It doesn’t matter how broken you are, He wants to make you new. He wants to give you a fresh start. It doesn’t matter how many times you have been “fixed” and “patched” or had nail polish remover spilled all over you. He wants to sand you down and give you a fresh coat of paint and fix all of the cracks and broken areas of your life. I am so thankful He did that for me. Let Him do it for you too.

Last Updated on October 3, 2016