It started as a picture.
Right before this school year started, I got the crazy idea to redo a room in a weekend. It actually took two to redo the walls and the floor and the elaborate trim. The last thing left was the light.
Since we moved in, a large chandelier has hung in our front room. Intended, I guess, to be over a table in a room meant for dining. We never used it for that though. So, instead for five years my husband and I repeated bumped our head on the fixture saying “We really should do something about that.”
When it finally came time to redo the room, we took down the fixture and stared at the empty hole wondering what to put there that would look cool and save our heads future damage.
One day, my husband showed me a photo of a light fixture made of rectangles and hidden LED lights. “That’s the one you want to buy?” I asked him. “No,” he said, “that’s the one I’m gonna make.”
It took him a few weeks but it’s finally ready. A masterpiece made from a simple picture.
This morning, as I look at this photo of the light my husband built from a picture, I’m reminded of another piece of furniture in our house… a small, beautiful brown table that sits near our front door. My grandfather once stopped me, years ago, and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. It was a page from a magazine all folded up. The picture was of a small table with a harp-like base. After he showed me the paper, he showed me the finished product. Built from a picture and a simple dream.
My prayer this morning is in thanksgiving for those who continue to show me how even the simplest of dreams can become a reality. In a way, all dreams start simple – a few words or a picture sketched out on paper.
So may this image be a reminder for all of you staring at a piece of paper right now and wondering if this dream of yours can ever become a reality.
Believe it can. And get to work.
