That Time I Was Redeemed and Sunday Grace Notes

We all need redemption in our lives at one point and sometimes those moments leave a huge impression. This is the story of that time I was redeemed.

A long ago tossed lid, a missing handle and a pin hole that’s almost invisible, but still big enough for liquid to seep out.

Why would I hang on to something that didn’t work anymore?

This is the story of a forgotten, broken down cooking pot that was collecting dust in the back of my cabinet for years and how I turned that old 2 quart piece into a repurposed planter pot.  

Because there’s a story behind it that is part of our love story.

When Trent and I first started dating, I quickly learned his love language – sweet tea.

I had to be schooled in how to make sweet tea – the southern way.

After years of not making the right mixture in cramped dorm quarters, I had an opportunity to move into a townhouse, complete with a kitchen.

Inspiration struck Trent and he coaxed his momma into giving him the pot she used everyday to make sweet tea.  He was certain that it was the pot and that made it taste perfect.  

She agreed and he brought it to me to make our inaugural first batch with success!

We shouted cheers and made toasts. But not in enough time to clean up. Trent whisked away to class while I stayed behind to wash the dishes.

Now if you don’t know by now, I have a problem with cleaning – meaning that I can’t stop paying attention to the little details instead of the big picture.

My room may be a mess, but the baseboards are sparkling.

And this is where the story turns…..

I cleaned the pot.

I mean cleaned the pot – for 45 minutes with a steel wool pad.

This pot seasoned to perfection from years of daily tea batches.

This pot lovingly passed on from mother to son.

Now it was sparkly clean.

I couldn’t wait to show Trent how beautiful and new the pot looked!

The next time he came by the townhouse, I grabbed his strong hand and led him into the kitchen to show him the result of my hard work. I was grinning from ear to ear until I turned to him to see his obviously shocked reaction.

I thought, maybe it’s because it’s so sparkly…right?

Boy was I wrong.

This was the first time that he looked at me, his betrothed, with a lot of of what-did-you-do and a hint of can-I-even-marry-this-woman in his eyes?

I tried my best to make right the horrible deed that I had done, easing the pain by promising him that, “Now we have the chance season this pot our whole lives!”

He reluctantly forgave me and that pot went with us to our new home, then to Birmingham where the handle broke off from years of use.

It joined us on our adventure to pursue our music in Los Angeles.

When we moved back to Tennessee, we noticed that each time a new batch of tea brewed, a small ring of liquid puddled on the glass cooktop stove from the teeniest little hole.

The tea puddled more and more until we finally and reluctantly moved on to a new pot.

But we couldn’t bear to throw it away.  

It was part of our story. 

So it went with us to our move to Las Vegas, where it sat in the bottom of a cabinet and came back with us to our Almost Farmhouse where it again remained hidden for the past 3 years.

Until one day, while searching for a serving dish, I stumbled upon this relic and the timing was perfect.

Perfect because you know this story is about more than this old tea pot.

It’s about how I’m that pot.

How I was once stained and then scrubbed clean.

Redeemed.

And how as a new clean pot, I continued to work fine until one day I didn’t.

Until one day I needed more refining.

And as we know, refining is not an easy process.

Metals purified through the fire, wood cut, carved and chopped, and wheat ground to fine powder.

The refined piece becomes transformed.

And just as we fall into the rhythms of life, we find ourselves off kilter again and again.

Our hearts need recalibration.

We must be pruned and refined so that we can give life to new things.

For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19

Old things purged, and once again washed clean.

With time, from the dead areas, new life emerges, but not without change.

Just like this old pot that suddenly the old forgotten item transforms into a repurposed planter pot.

For years had been useless, but now renewed with purpose for something greater.

Just like this old pot – you have been redeemed.

You think things should move one way and that direction is good, but we need to let Him define what that good is.

You are a co-heir with Christ – you have been redeemed.

“But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.^” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child.

And since you are His child, God has made you His heir.

Gal 4:4-7

I hope this story of that time I was redeemed gives you hope to look back upon a time in your life where the Lord made drastic changes in your life.

Please share your story in the comments below.

It would be an honor to hear from you!

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December is in full swing, and I’m sure you are finding the overwhelm and busyness of the season just like us.

But our hope and prayer is to find peace in the midst of the hustle and bustle.

The Latest with Us

My boy is home from college and all of my family is under my roof!

We celebrated 19 years of his life with joy and gratefulness.

And today, I am performing in our church’s Christmas concert.

If you are interested in watching the livestream, you can tune in here. Services are at 8:15 and 10:45 am CST. You can also watch it on the replay as well. ☺️

New Happenings

I had the opportunity to meet with the fabulous team at Romabio Paints this past week.

They have a new product coming to market at the beginning of the year and I am one of the lucky ones to give it a try!

So next week, I am going to do a quick flip of our dining room and can’t wait to share the reveal in just a few weeks.

My Favorites from the Week

Did you get a chance to see how I updated our bedroom for a cozy winter retreat?

I finally hung those curtains I talked about and boy did it change the room.

Head over to the post to see the full reveal!

• Abundance Not Scarcity – Yr 1 Wk 7
• That Time I Was Redeemed – Sunday Grace Notes – Yr 1 Wk 6
• The Fixer Upper Christian – Sunday Grace Notes – Yr 1 Wk 5
• Trusting God in the Deserts of our Life – Sunday Grace Notes – Yr 1 Wk 4
• God Does Give You More Than You Can Handle – Sunday Grace Note – Yr 1 Wk 3
• Tackling Worries and Sunday Grace Notes – Year 1 Week 2
• Overcoming the Overwhelm: Sunday Grace Notes – Year 1 Week 1