Project Plans
Alicia Reese
September 8, 2021

Throughout the pandemic, I have picked up new, crafty hobbies like embroidery, wood burning, sign-making, and candle-making. As a result, I have made countless gifts for people, created a gallery wall in my home, redone a closet, painted the trim in my living room, redone a bathroom floor, and designed a hallway nook.

Each of these things has been life-giving to me by exercising my creativity, expanding my mind to learn/teach myself new things, and getting to work with my hands. The results have been satisfying, allowing me to feel a sense of accomplishment, productivity, and joy, especially when I create something to give to someone else and it brings them joy.

My most recent project has been my biggest undertaking yet. Refinishing an armoire. I have had this piece of furniture since high school. It has come to live with me in every apartment since then, serving as a bar, a games cabinet, storage for winter hats, gloves, scarves and other such things, and most recently it is our “front table” holding our mailbox, dog treats, hand sanitizer, and sunglasses. It is the first thing we see and touch when we come into our home and fits perfectly in its space. However, its red color no longer fits well in our home, it’s quite old, a bit wobbly, has a lot of dents, scrapes, and chips; it has been well-used and loved, but we felt it was time to replace it. But despite a thorough and painstaking search, no piece of furniture exists that is of comparable dimensions to maximize the space we need it to fill. Therefore, I opted to refinish it, reinforce it, repair it, give it new life.

I did research, bought supplies, made a to-do list, and created a plan to tackle this project. Simple right? Wrong.

If you have ever died your hair red, or know someone who has, you know how difficult it is to get the red out of your hair. It took me three years to grow the red out of my hair. Ultimately, the same is true for red on wood, not so easily removed. But, this thing was not just painted, there are all kinds of different substances caked on to it so stripping it had very little effect. I had to adjust. Sanding would help, but would not get it to where I wanted it to be to stain it, and was starting to reveal just how structurally unsound this piece was! I adjusted again.

This is the current state of the armoire:
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It’s not very pretty, but I actually think it’s beautiful. When I look at it, I am reminded of what it was, I see the amount of hard work and sweat I have put into it, and I get a glimpse of what it will be.

I realize that all the projects I have taken on were more than things to keep me busy, they were a way to exert control in an uncontrollable and uncertain world. My need to have a plan, to follow through with the plan, and have everything go according to plan has not been possible in reality, in society, in the way we do church, in getting to travel, which is really difficult to acknowledge and accept, or at least it has been for me.

But this project has been eye-opening for me, here is what I have learned…

1.    Making plans is not a bad thing, it’s a good thing, it can be life-giving and bring you hope and joy. But…
2.    Don’t put ALL of your energy and effort into those plans because that doesn’t leave a lot of room for other possibilities or creativity (or openness to the Spirit at work)
3.    Things may get worse before they get better (exhibit A: my armoire)
4.    Projects + Plans = Practice of Resilience

Proverbs chapter 16, verse 9 says, “In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”
 
Make plans. Whatever plans will feed you, bring you hope or joy. Don’t let them overwhelm or consume you, know that God will be in each step with you. If they get derailed, don’t beat yourself up, there are other routes, creative possibilities; in those moments of disappointment or frustration, ask, “where is God in this? Where might the Spirit be at work?”
 
Creator God, help me to make plans, not for my benefit, not to be able to have something to control, but so that I can create opportunities to be open to and mindful of your presence. Help me to try and see the beauty in the journey, even when things seem worse than when I began. Thank you for promising to guide my steps. Amen.