I was walking by a large building that was being cleared out. Men were making piles with the “rubbish” that was coming out of the building to be burned. In the piles were amazing architectual columns, mantles, windows and porch balustrates from turn of the century homes. They had multiple layers of paint crackled in many colors. As they brought out the gas to start the fire I began yelling “stop, don’t do that these have great value!” I heard a voice of one of the workers say “it’s rubbish, they have no value”. I woke up from this dream some 15+ years ago with a “knowing” that it had a meaning.

As I pondered this dream I saw a parallel with the the architectual salvage and people. Life’s hurdles and circumstances can cripple us.  We get tattered, stressed and cracked and we cover them up with clothes, makeup, surgery, booze, drugs and unhealthy relationships only to find that another layer is needed. We some times see these cracks in others and fail to see their value.

As I understand, God is madly in love with his creation. He is so for us that the cracks don’t disqualify or devalue us. In fact with a little TLC, nurturing and creative love the cracks become character and details that increase value in people and antiques.