Sealed Up or Varnished Over?

Cement driveways, brick walls, and plastic tanks last longer when their pores are sealed. I spent the day sealing our hydroformed brick house today and had a few thoughts about sealing up bricks.

Of course, those thoughts (and perhaps induced by excessive sun exposure) led me to think about friends who hide things with a sparse coat of varnish vs. those who allow the love and care of a friend to seal up their wounds.

First coats are harder—New friends and sharing a new rough area of our life takes more work the first time. The task looks big (like a house vs. a section of a wall), it’s raw, and the imperfections are still untreated. Lesson: Yes, it is hard to open up and it is healthy, too.

Rough edges soak up more sealer—My bricks are not all perfectly square and smooth and exposed edges take more sealer. Of course, they need more attention and sealer or it will break down faster than the smooth faces of the brick. Lesson: Your rough edges need more attention so share them with friends and let them help you grow.

Different materials take more work than others—Rough cement in our walls helps smooth transitions in the brick, but it soaks up more sealer. Lesson: You may have some especially rough stuff in your life. That’s okay. Real friends will accept you for who you are—Rough Stuff and all.

Getting into the crevices is important—Hydroformed bricks do not have mortar, but all those joints still make a large amount of the surface. The joints are where water will run and need extra attention. Lesson: The nitty gritty gets sealed up when we pay attention to it—so pay attention to the crevices, weaknesses, and holes in your life.

Share your life with your friends in a way that does not gloss over who you really are.