I’m back. I went and spent a much needed couple weeks with my parents. I loved being with them and savor my memories. Wish I could make more!
This past weekend I spent staining a portion of our deck. The home we purchased a little more than a year ago has an amazingly large deck, but it needs to be stained to to protect it. I couldn’t help but reflect on the process. First, you have to sand it, and then you stain it. My husband asked me why I needed to sand it, hoping that I could get more of it done if I could skip the sanding step. However, sanding it helps the wood to absorb the stain better. It is recommended to use grit 60 or 80 for sanding; using a finer grit makes for a smoother wood, but also closes the pores and hinders absorption of the stain.
I couldn’t help but apply this to my life. Often times, we experience trials and hard times. This can be like the sanding we experience. These trials humble us, teach us, and give us experience. Often times, it is only after a trial that we experience before we acquire new understanding. The stain applied is like the healing power we experience. The salve not only heals us, but can seal us to our Savior, preparing us for further elements that we will inevitably encounter as we move through this mortal existence.
The needed roughness of the grit plays an important part. Oftentimes, I want life to be easier. I suppose it’s the natural man that wants an easy road. However, it’s in my moments of helplessness when I realize I can’t do it on my own (because I keep trying to), that I turn to my Savior and seek His way. It is at these times when I learn, grow, and become more than I was before.
“For my are not thoughts, neither are your my , saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8)
Family Life Education 