The wood floors in our home had been lived on well for 18 years. They had witnessed the growth of our three children from pre-teens to married adults. They had felt the canes of aging parents and the pitter patter of our grandchildren’s early steps. Numerous pets had left their marks and the variety of things that have fallen on and been spilled on them is countless. They were well worn and needed to be repaired.

So we began the process of having the floors sanded, refinished and coated with polyurethane. This has recently been completed and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results. (I’ll be glad to share our contractor’s name to those interested.)

The First Scratch
In fact the results have been too good for me. For the first several days I marveled at the difference. Then, it happened….the first scratch, compliments of our well-fed lab. His nails were trimmed and ground so fast that his big boxy head is still spinning. But the scratches kept coming, not only from the pets but from everyday life.

I became obsessed with keeping those new floors spotless and the smallest potential event that “might” cause a scratch bothered me far more than it should have. My sweet wife had to remind me that the life that occurs on top of those floors is far more important that anything that could happen to them.

What Truly Matters
This became a not so subtle reminder that when I focus only on what I can see, I quickly lose perspective on what truly matters. As we continue to examine what it means to live by faith, through the life of Abraham, let us be mindful of the subtle things in our lives that can take our focus off of what truly matters.

Barry McCall
Elder