Sunday, June 3, 2012

Old or New? Tarnished or Shiny?


Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
1 Peter 3:3-4 New International Version
 On Friday, I went to Wausau to visit my daughter and we explored downtown a little bit. We started with lunch at the restaurant where she works. She told me that it is a fancy place, but I never imagined how fancy. Holy cow, it is a bit out of my league.

We walked several blocks to a second-hand store, Studio 7, where she bought an armload of clothes. It is so neat that so many second-hand stores have popped up. I know that it is mostly because of the economy, but isn’t it better to recycle whatever we can instead of just throwing stuff out?

Of course, while she was trying on clothes, I went next door to Janke Bookstore, which is one of the staples of downtown Wausau. I think that besides the Mint Café, it is the only business still in the same place as when I was in college there.

We explored an antique store, but didn’t find anything of interest. Then we walked in to the next store and were completely blown-away.

Evolutions in Design, on the internet, is advertised as a florist, but holy cow, I did not get that out of the place. I can’t even begin to describe it. The two floors are an eclectic mix of old and new, combining things like antique metal fans from the 50s with pink orchids. I sneaked a few pictures, but I don’t believe that business owners generally like you doing that, thinking that you are stealing ideas. The pictures don’t nearly do it justice anyway.

These places that we visited reminded me that the old and tarnished can be as beautiful as the new and sparkly. It’s not just about the outward appearance, it’s about history and where these things were and where they get to go now.

Same goes for us. It’s not about how we look, it’s about what we are made of. If our history includes tragedy, we need to make a new history for ourselves. We need to smile on the inside before we can smile on the outside.


2 comments:

Holly Michael said...

What a sweet post...nice reminder! Happy God's Day!

Chris Loehmer Kincaid said...

Thanks, Holly, it was a sweet day that I spent with my daughter.