Saturday, November 19, 2016

Fixer Upper House: Creating A Prayer Corner


I had this idea to use a neglected spot in our bedroom as a prayer corner...just a spot where I can have a chair, a bible, a few books, and a quiet place away from the noise.

I thought this art piece that I purchased from Dayspring years ago would really be great in the spot. It's been in storage for a long time, and I think I know why. I never liked the cherry/mahogany finish. Well, that's easy to fix!


I was at the local Ace Hardware store when I spotted this Amy Howard One Step paint, and thought I'd give it a try.


For starters, I cleaned the piece with Simple Green, let it dry, and then gave it a first coat using a sponge applicator. Maybe I should have used a chipping brush and lint free roller instead. I didn't like how this paint behaved. It was drippy, not self leveling, and you can see where it bubbled and did not adhere well on the first coat. And weirder still, there were a lot of spots where pink dots began to bleed through, as if the cherry color underneath was peeking out in a random way.

I guess I'm just used to the wonders of Caromal Colors ReClaim paint.


I applied two coats, ignored the abundance of pink dots, and gave it a light sanding to distress it.



And here it is, in my prayer corner! I love it! The color is perfect for the softer tones in our bedroom.  It makes me so happy when I can take a neglected piece and give it new life again.


And here's another neglected piece. I found this magazine rack at someone's curb...free! I thought of painting it, but decided I liked the tone of wood for its vintage appeal.


It is filled with some great material! My new study bible, my study journal, C.S. Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Spurgeon and others.


I confess, when it comes to prayer, I am not great orator. You would think that a writer would construct eloquent prayers, but I'm a bit of a simpleton. "God, help me!" is an oft-repeated prayer.

Sometimes, I feel like Jodi Foster in the movie Contact, when she sees the beauty of space through a worm hole, and the only thing she can say is "No words!"

When I am at a loss for words, I have learned to appreciate the beauty of a prayer book that can encapsulate my thoughts when I cannot.

I read this wonderful thought regarding prayer this week. It comes from author Lori Smith in her autobiography "A Walk With Austen". She wrote this:

"I've grown to love the more formal prayers because they often remind me of things I cannot remember myself, a strong rope of what perhaps in some cases may become rote, but to me helps bind my heart and my faith when I don't have words of my own, when I can't entirely remember exactly what I believe. I feel tied by them to generations of Christians who prayed the same words, thought the same things, had the same doubts."


Now, I have a place where I can ask, seek, knock.


It is a good place to be.

7 comments:

  1. Love love the cozy little corner in your bedroom! And that magazine rack is AWESOME!

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  2. I love your prayer corner - you inspire me, Mary Rose! Could you please pray for my friend Rachel who just found out she has colon cancer? Thank you!

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