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The Stamped Lily

A blog by April Dillow

Surprising Lessons from TikTok

March 20, 2020 by april dillow 2 Comments

I recently downloaded TikTok, I know, I know, but hear me out. This post is not about TikTok though I may write one eventually…I’m still learning and figuring it out. BUT, I created a TikTok account and I have been making some pretty cool process videos, letting others in behind the scenes, and showing them how already special, purposed treasures can be given an entirely new purpose becoming that much more sacred.  

The first video I made that received any amount of “substantial” views, I showed the process of turning a zippo lighter into a leather cuff. Now this lighter wasn’t just an ordinary lighter. It was one of only three that a sweet woman had that belonged to her late father. In fact, it was the ONLY thing she had left that belonged to him. She’d kept them safe for a while, but they were just sitting in a drawer. Not enjoyed and not used for any purpose. They were no longer being used as lighters. 

So, she reached out to me for help. She asked if there was any way I could use one of the lighters to make something for her to actually wear and enjoy on a daily basis. She knew there was a possibility it could be given a new purpose.  Although the lighters hadn’t been used in years, they were still valued, loved, and special.  

My husband and I were up to the task (this was going to take some fancy metal tools) and we got to work. I took small video clips of the whole process because it was just way too cool not to share and I wanted to have some of the steps documented.  Well, not only did repurposing the lighter work, it turned out to be one of the most beautiful cuffs I’ve ever made. I looked at the finished bracelet and thought “Thank you, God!” How amazing that we were able to create something so beautiful for her to enjoy.

A couple weeks later I took those mini video clips and I created the video in TikTok and uploaded it. The caption read “Not just her dad’s old lighter, but memory jewelry instead”. Well, it started to gain some traction, and then more traction, and now it has currently been viewed over 180,000 times.

But with views comes comments.

The first comment was sweet and encouraging, but the remaining twenty or so comments went a little like this “Why didn’t you just refill it?”, “I would prefer it stay a lighter.”, “Why are you doing that to this treasure?”, “It still works, but let’s destroy it.”, “What a disgrace that was a perfectly beautiful zippo”.

Right? It’s hard to read those comments when you know what a gift it is to the woman who gets to wear it. 

I am sure there are MULTIPLE lessons in this story, but I was thinking about all those comments as it relates to God repurposing us and what it may look like to those who are watching you be transformed.

They might not like it.

Allowing God to shape you and move in your life, changes you.  You are a new creation in Christ. The old is gone, the new has come. Praise God that He loves us so much that He must transform our lives! While we’re letting God shape us, others may feel left behind, or they may not like the “new” you. They’d prefer you stay a lighter with a predictable purpose or even left in a forgotten drawer, hidden, and useless.  

They might not understand it.

Maybe you’re putting in more time with Jesus, like going to church, or joining a bible study, or maybe you’re seeking Godly counsel and therapy to work through something difficult. It may be hard for people to understand when you “worked just fine” before.

They might not support it.

There may be people in your life that are very attached to the “old” you. The you that made sense to them before transformation began. To them, there’s comfort in knowing that you are safe with the old purpose. You’re not confusing to others when you look, act, think the same as before. You are also not in any danger, or possible pain when left as the lighter in the drawer.

But, we can see the beauty in both.

We can see the beauty in the original piece. How it was used lovingly by the man who treasured it. We can see his daughter clinging to it as one of the only things she has of his belongings, and we can appreciate its new life as a memory piece – something for her to look at daily to remind her of her father and how she loves him.  Her new creation will be a conversation piece and when she’s asked where she got the unique bracelet she can share it’s transformation story. She can share where it started and how it came to be sitting on her wrist today. She will unveil more of her beauty as she is filled with joy each time she glances at the new daily reminder of her father. It will be a part of her story.

And so it is with you.

You can appreciate and love the beauty in your life before and after God’s repurposing. You can appreciate where you started and boast gladly in your heavenly Father  and what He has done in your life to get you to where you are today. Sister, being repurposed can be challenging for those watching – shoot! It’s challenging enough to walk through the repurposing – but don’t let that keep you from His work, which He has already planned for you . This is what it means to “Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1.2 NIV). Count it joy now, find it now because there will be transformations for our entire lives on this side of heaven. I promise your Father treasures you through the whole process and he does not want you hiding to trapped in a drawer. He wants you out, basking in his love, and to “have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10 NIV)

 

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Filed Under: shop Tagged With: Encouragement, Lessons, Repuposed, TikTok

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Comments

  1. Beverly Toombs says

    June 9, 2020 at 7:41 pm

    Just as Jesus is reshaping and transforming us for new purposes, he gives gifts and talents to us that can be used to bring joy and love to the lives of others! God uses you and your talents to repurpose things that may have lost their original purpose, but can be redesigned and bring joy for years to come! Thank you for using your vision and gift for the glory of the Lord!

    Reply
    • april dillow says

      June 9, 2020 at 8:18 pm

      Thank you for this Beverly. I appreciate your words!

      Reply

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HI, I’M APRIL!

HI, I’M APRIL!

I’m an encourager and I enjoy chatting with you about what God is teaching me. Every day I’m learning and every day I’m reminding myself who I am in Christ. I’m a simple girl who speaks about hope in the midst of my own struggles. Whether I’m sharing my story of God’s faithfulness through the loss of my brother to suicide, or talking about my daily sin struggles and remembering to give myself grace, God is walking me through every part of it.

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When your company is having a country retreat you When your company is having a country retreat you definitely need leather cuffs right??

So cool to be asked to create such special gifts!!🥰
With the project kits coming out...hopefully this With the project kits coming out...hopefully this week...I wanted to share this review from a mama who’s daughter is loving her TSL Stamp Kit:

“I got Sadie this kit for Christmas and she LOVES it! We’ve also done every monthly project kit so far so it keeps her interested and practicing and getting better and better! She’s going to her friends birthday party this weekend and one of the gifts she’s giving her is a hand stamped necklace 💗She’s also made keychains, necklaces, etc., for us, her friends and grandparents and everyone absolutely adores her little gifts. If you have a crafty little girl I can not recommend this enough and, for Sadie, it’s even helped spark a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit which is so fun to see! You’ll also be supporting an AMZING small business with Christian values...I love everything April does - you have to check out the bangle set & lace cuffs especially and her stamped cuffs are always so cute!” -Jess Temple @wearlove_always 

I’m so humbled when you share your reviews with me but this captured the “heart behind the kit.” That Sadie would love to create such beautiful pieces for her loved ones and that she is gifting with intention. That’s it. Sadie is doing it! And it just makes my heart so happy!
The little details. Like a natural crack in a turq The little details.
Like a natural crack in a turquoise stone pendant.
A reminder that we’re all imperfect and yet still called beautiful by our Creator and made new in Christ.

This piece left me speechless. I’m in awe of the gift God allows me to keep using. I’m grateful you trust me with your loved ones jewelry. I’m moved when a piece brings you to tears.

Thank you for asking me and thank you for trusting me.

Swipe to see how this piece started 😍
Throwing it back to this sweet TSL Stamp Kit video Throwing it back to this sweet TSL Stamp Kit video because the newest |Project Kit| is coming NEXT WEEK!

I’m excited for this one! You all have been asking for necklaces so....hint hint 😉

The TSL Stamp Kit is such a fun way to bring a unique craft time into your home all while sharing the art of giving. I know you’ll love it as much as I do! AND on top of that I release Project Kits every other month to keep you stamping and creating!

If you’re on the TSL Tribe email list you’ll be getting a sneaky peek at the Project Kit over the weekend before they launch NEXT WEEK! Not on the email list? Link is in my bio 😉

Tag someone you think would love to try metal stamping 🥰
Woohoo! Another leather spotlight. I have been DI Woohoo! Another leather spotlight.

I have been DIGGING thinner cuffs lately. I mean don’t get me wrong I like the wide leather too but thinner leather allows me to stack with my watch comfortably. Plus it’s getting warmer and I like thinner leather in the summertime😎

This leather has the sweetest floral border and raw edges giving me all the rustic love feels 🥰

Are you digging the thinner leather styles more than the wider style? Is it just me?!
Community is such a beautiful gift. Surround your Community is such a beautiful gift.

Surround yourself with people who will lift you up, hold you accountable, and keep pointing you to Jesus.

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What an absolute joy it is to come around a friend and bless them beyond measure.

You can find all the details and items over @come.together.for.cari.auction and you can follow Cari to stay up to date on her husbands healing progress.

Thank you!!
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And yes I’m a leather nerd. I LOVE this job and I LOVE that the story of the leather continues with you!
Maybe smitten is my new favorite word because I’ Maybe smitten is my new favorite word because I’m smitten with this one too!!

I always use the USA plate when I make these Americana cuffs so when I was asked to use a state plate I was excited to see how it would turn out...and yep I’m smitten. Plus Idaho is a pretty rad shaped state.

I love making your ideas come to life especially when they look this awesome!

So now I’m curious, do I have any other Idahoans here?
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