A buffet and another lesson learned

I love doing furniture.  Really.  I also love the lessons I've learned along the way.

A few days ago a very good friend of mine (more like family) said she had a buffet from her parent's house she wanted me to paint.  She asked if she could drop it off in the shop (she has access because she happens to by my husband's business partner's wife) and I said, of course.  So, the next day I open the door to my shop and there is this absolutely gorgeous buffet sitting there.  I literally did a small intake of breath and then was so stinking excited (some of you will understand that feeling :) )!!   I asked her what she wanted me to do with it and she said she would send me some pics.  She did, I looked, and told her I could do that.  Well, about half way through the process I realized I couldn't make it look like the picture.  I would be lying if I said panic didn't set in.  I thought I had ruined it or would have to strip it down and start all over (and still not know how to make it look like the picture!).  I backed away from it, put my sanding block down, and left the shop (I did not cry!).  I stewed about it all that night, didn't sleep much, decided I would call her in the morning and tell her I lied to her, and then prayed that Heavenly Father would help me know how to fix it.  I did call her the next morning and asked her to come to the shop to tell me what she thought.  She looked, we decided what to do, and  I finished it.  Now, it does NOT look anything like the picture, but it is beautiful and she loves it. 

What did I learn?  Sometimes we have an idea in our head what our lives should look like.  We make plans, set goals, have a "vision" for the future.  We get excited and get to work trying to make those dreams become reality.  But then, somewhere in the middle of it all, we realize that life isn't quite shaping out the way our "picture" looked (ok, you know the saying, "%@#! happens.").   Some of you are good at just rolling with the punches, but for some of us panic sets in (mid-life crisis anyone?)!  Sometimes all we have to do is step back, ask for help from the One who knows exactly what we need, and realize that 

just because it doesn't look like the picture doesn't mean it can't be beautiful.  

Here's a little sneak peek....

and it's got legs!!