The Chest

Becky and I recently bought a chest.  But it wasn’t “just” a chest.  There’s a story behind it.  A lineage of sorts.  

Her father, Bubba, built it as a gift for his mother-in-law (Becky’s grandmother).  It is made of cedar and stands about two and a half feet tall.  The exterior finish has a dark, molasses stain, while the interior is raw and natural.  A gold plaque on the inside lid proudly states its builder’s name, its recipient's name, and its date of creation.  

Becky’s grandmother owned the chest for several years until she passed away.  Her daughter, Julie, inherited the chest.  Unfortunately, she did not take care of it, but it remained in her possession nonetheless.  

Now back to the beginning.  As previously stated, Becky and I bought the chest, the owner being Julie, her aunt.  In a roundabout way, the chest was transported to Northwest Arkansas.  Needless, to say, Becky was giddy.

When we went to pick it up, we could tell it had been neglected and mistreated.  Rather than the crisp, fresh scent of cedar, a stale odor of cigarette smoke engulfed the chest.  Scratches and dings had worn the finish.  A thin film of dust had settled on the lid and the sides as well.   The hinges were bent and somewhat buckled.  In short, it looked rough.  

But Bubba being the chest’s creator, volunteered to take it home and return it to its original form.  A few days later, Becky and I were summoned: the chest was ready.  Upon seeing it “new,” I was stunned to see the transformation.  The scent of cedar wafted around the room.  The stain was returned to the original dark chocolate hue, the scratches and dings a thing of the past.  New hinges smoothly lifted the lid, opening the source of the sweet cedar smell.  I could see in Becky’s eyes how much she cherished the restoration.

Similarly, I couldn’t help but think of how God truly restores.  Like the chest, our lives are gifts from Him.  So often, we choose our own way and scuff and chip and dent our lives.  Sometimes gradually. Sometimes in a flurry.  But only when we give our lives back to the Creator & Builder of Life thru His son Jesus can we find true restoration.  He knows exactly What He created, How He created, and Why He created.  He buffs the scratches.  He fixes the brokenness.  And when He’s done, the sweet aroma of Life reappears, and our souls are restored to reflect His Handiwork and Glory.

Books With Pages & Words

For some odd reason, I decided to start three novels at once - Tai-Pan, Game of Thrones, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.  The last two I began more out of a sense of intrigue given the popularity of the books and the subsequent visual adaptations.  Plus, I checked them out in e-book format from the Fayetteville Public Library (or FPL as it’ll be referred to from hereafter).  Zero dollars and zero physical bulk make both easier to peruse. 

With Game of Thrones, I’ve decided to hit the pause button given the number of characters already introduced in the first three chapters.  No doubt it will take more effort to get those characters down.  However, it has been enjoyable the little I have read.

Thru the first chapter, the Harry Potter book is not nearly as complex as Game of Thrones, but is equally as pleasing.  Already I can tell the feel of the story is light and airy, a sharp contrast to the brooding and dark Game of Thrones.

But Tai-Pan receives most of my attention.  The storyline is complex, and the characters are fascinating.  Written by James Clavell, the book is a loose historical fiction about the history of Hong Kong.  The story is mainly centered around the character Dirk Struan, a Scotsman turned sea trader.  I won’t bore you with the details, but would highly recommend it, even though I’m only twelve chapters deep.  There are times the dialogue, written in slang or broken English, is hard to understand but worth trudging through.  The most interesting parts of the novel are when the characters tackle tough topics of morality.  Sometimes that’s displayed through the inner turmoil of their conscience.  Sometimes it’s a dialogue between characters.  Whatever beliefs are held are often violated by greed or selfish desire. 

That sums it up for now.  On to reading more… 

Inaugural Posts Are Overrated

You know I’m right.  Statements are made.  Intentions are laid out.  Goals are penned.  All chalked full of cliches and hyperbole.  Everybody gets it.  Nothing new.

So what makes this blog different?  What sets it apart from the Internet Ether?  In a word, nothing.  There will be no niche filled.  No target audience catered to.  Just a jumbled mess of jots and tittles that may, at best, form a coherent thought. 

But I guess a mad dash of topics will be the ingredients of this blog – some sports, some literature, add a little TV/movies/music, throw in some faith, and a little certain-I-don’t-know-what.  Boom, done. 

The two people who read this will never come back.