As-is Geri

There is a section in Ikea called the “As -is” section. Here items are sold at a bargain because they aren’t nice and new, instead they come with their defects or their preloved status listed on little tags.

When I was a child, all sparkly and new, it wasn’t hard to love me I am sure.

Imagine the first time most parents see their baby, they must feel all warm and fuzzy about the little life that came from them.

But it must have been hard once I started to grow and change. Each stage that I go through I am sure I pose a different challenge for my parents even today as they also have their hopes and expectations of me for each stage of my life.

I have made some very bad decisions, gone through my share of ups and downs. I have had my moments of emotional upheavals too. I still don’t always make the best choices and I still am learning to overcome my bad habits.

If I were an item on the “As-is” shelf, I would have had new stuff added to my tag every day. “Has a chip on her heart from the last time it was broken. Has a scar here from when she fell from grace. Has a tear here from her altercation with her kid this morning. Has a wound here from an argument with her mum…”

Sometimes it is hard for my parents and my husband and my kids to love me when I am imperfect in the way I treat them because they each have their own expectations of me. We are all but human. Thank God then that He is able to love me fully despite my “As-is” tag.

I might be the most unloveable creature in the room but because of His nature- grace and truth, mercy and love- He looks past my faults. He cups me in His hands and He doesn’t see a broken and useless vessel. He sees a vessel He can use.

We have a preloved table in our home. We bought it over from someone who told us it was made of wood that came from old boats which explained its unique weatherworn and rustic look. The boat might have become unsightly or not useable, someone could have abandoned it, but in the hands of a creator, it became something useful- a beautiful table that is a conversation starter and something beautiful and different.

That’s like you and me. The world might write us off, our parents might write us off, our spouse might write us off, our kids might roll their eyeballs at us but what matters is your Creator has never written you off as a has been. You are always full of potential to Him even when you are at your most broken. He loves you in your “As-is” state and always will. This is because His love is unconditional and His grace is amazing. We run out of patience with our loved ones, ourselves and people run out of patience for us… But His patience is as vast as this Universe. He is constantly loving us into His beauty bit by bit each day.