Follow your arrow

The arrow is a symbol of something to follow or points towards something. It can send you in a new direction, have you turn around, make you look back at your past. Some paths/directions can take you down long journeys that are difficult. Some are exciting and amazing! Sometimes we misread directions and turn too soon. If you’re like me when using a GPS, you will (9 times out of 10) make a u-turn because you turned before the arrow on the map.

I’m also guilty of comparing my journey or arrow to that of another: why did I have to go through this? How come I didn’t get to go there or do that? Why did this happen in my past and not someone else’s? But really, our journey (no matter the direction) is our own. And we can lose our way if we are not following the right source of arrows. For me, my compass is Christ. It hasn’t always been. I went down some twisting paths with a lot of heartache, because I was too worried about directing myself despite the nudging from Gods love. And I have no doubt that it will happen again. I’m human and that’s why Gods there to lead us back to the path He has created. I’ve learned that God’s plan [or His arrows] always lead to far more amazing things than I could have planned for myself!

I told you this would be transparent, so I’ll share a part of me that’s an example of this. It’s no secret that Griff came into our lives “earlier than expected.” 😉 He was a surprise, for sure. When learning that I was pregnant while we were planning our wedding, I pulled the 5 year old attitude and stomped my foot at God! “Why is my life not ‘normal?'” “This is not the direction I planned for my life to go!” And God laughed at my ridiculous self, because He knew what was in store. He saw how much I would love that little boy before pregnancy, marriage, and dating were even thoughts in my mind. I had the direction of my life all planned out and was using my own internal compass. God quickly sent an arrow and said, “Turn here!” Was I scared? Yep. Mad? A little. Overwhelmed? You bet! But that melted the first time I heard his heart beat. My fears continued to wither the first time I felt him kick. And they completely erased when they laid that beautiful little boy on my chest. I realized, then, that the chain of arrows for my life is, yes, different from other people. But dang, if it didn’t send me down the most joyous path. Griffin has been our greatest adventure, yet!♥️

There will be times when we follow “arrows” to a place where our faith is shaken. We feel lost and abandoned, confused, and overwhelmed. But help is only a prayer away. God is always there to redirect you to a place of happiness and love. My prayer for myself and for all of you, is that we trust God’s compass for our lives so adamantly that we can smile when meeting new obstacles or adventures… Because we know that where He is leading is sure to be spectacular!

So what does this have to do with a restoration project?? My theme for my life is to “Follow your [God’s] arrow wherever it points!” (Thank you Kacey Musgraves for the lyrics).

So I chose this fabric to restore these $20 end tables from Ikea, and I am thrilled with the result! A little foam roll, fabric, and my new staple gun (thanks, Mama) and voilà!! New end tables with a flare!!!