My husband and I have been doing some remodeling. We have been working relentlessly to remodel a room that has been neglected in our house for over the past few years. It is a room that we have used to home school for six years (thus far). Not only home school, but we have somehow managed to squeeze in there all sorts of other activities: lots of discussions, lots of prayer times together, generally making decisions, deep thinking, family meetings. We have talked through so many situations, all in this little tiny area. Not that it looks so beautiful :) but nevertheless, it's so inviting! It seems any time there has arisen any crisis of any sort, off we go, into that little unkept room, with that big old comfy couch, to sort it all out, or at least to try to sort it all out and simply move forward into the direction that we feel God is taking us, and leading us through.
Now I know that couch doesn't look pretty. Neither does the room in all it's messiness. You might not like to own it, yourself ! and hey ! I can certainly understand that. (Yes that is a photo of the couch that's in it that we own. Pretty remarkable isn't it !) As you can see it is all marked up with permanent marker scribblings :) It's even got some deep rips and tears in it that might be indicative of all the struggles, tears, and trials that we have faced together and walked through. Why, it is even missing fabric and cushioning here and there as you can see. Yes, I know it doesn't sound nor look very pretty, but, ok - this is real life we are talking about. The kids have all sorts of comments, signatures, and drawings on there from their friends over the years. They know just exactly where everything a friend has ever wrote on there is located. They've memorized what's been said, the location, and how big the letters were and even if they were mispelt. It's like a permanent guest book, so to speak, but one that you actually sit on! LOL! Kids and friends through the years have delighted in it! To be able to put their own personal notes, signatures and sacrcastic remarks, or whatever, yet cherished artwork for sure, never to be erased. (Do you know what joy there is for a child to be able to actually write on furniture, and leave their own very unique mark on it so to speak!?) We have sorted out so many things cramped up in that little tiny room on that old ugly comfy couch! Why we have even had 'church' in there with friends \ o / if there is such a thing as 'having church' but you know what I mean ...
Now we are trying to get this wallpaper off the walls, and I can tell you, getting down to the bare walls underneath it all, well that is something else. Let's just say, it has been very tedious. But how delightful it is to see the walls appearing out from underneath that old ragged wallpaper.
But the point I am trying to make is not profound but it is one that is very exciting! God is so good! He is always at work, speaking to us kindly, entreating us in the process of building, rebuilding, tearing down. Yet ever carefully getting rid of things in our life that will continue to make life and continued growth impossible. The process of peeling away that old wallpaper is very tedious, yet in the end after it is removed and the wall comes through, it is undamaged and much more beautiful in that process. It's a shadow of the process that He is committed to in each of our lives. It is very unique to us all, even just as that old couch is.
At times he just wants for us to sit down on the couch and relate to Him and pour out our hearts to Him. Love Him and enjoy Him and receive and give Him away His life to others.
At other times there is work to be done in all of us. This because part of being able to continue to live in that place of life - will require us to "tear down the old , remove the ragged edges and roughness" that exists in us all and simply comes our way as we live our life out in a fallen world, broken and wounded by sin.
God has come to us through Jesus Christ and He is helping us to do that. He is helping us all to achieve the right balance of the old and the new. He has called us and chosen us and promised to be with us as we continue to build and maintain what He has given us and He is continuing to renew and restore His Son in us !
In this season of our life it seems we have little bit of both going on. We have the beautiful couch to continue to sit on, but at the same time, we are working on a different area, the walls at the moment. It's all a beautiful picture really of Christ's deep love and onward motion of His creation uniquely towards us and deeply involved in all our hearts!
At times it may not look appealing to another, yes that's true, or like anything at all that another would even want to pursue and build in their lives (like our old couch) But then that is all ok as well and we have to all be settled on the gentle truth that Christ is supreme and able in one and all to complete and get after what it is He is searching out in our hearts. We have to be like the wind and let Him go where He needs to , even when it doesn't make sense and even when others think we have lost it ! But ultimately, Christ's value in each individual goes beyond our temporal thinking and mindset. And certainly it's value goes well beyond what another can understand.
But even as we see the wall's come through and their beauty appearing in their bareness,we are seeing this with the ugly couch still sitting there, to be enjoyed~ the process of Christ's formation in us is also very continual and ongoing, with lots of comfort and peace to us in the midst of the change He brings. It's al unique yet the one crucial factor that I see at work is the process is not to remain static ! It is like the wind that we become, always blowing. Anticipating the direction but free enough to go where He says go. So it's in this place that truly, we can't but help to overflow in joy and in constant deep anticipation and appreciation of what change has come, what growth has come, and is yet to occur! It will be brought into focus, not only into our own lives, but it's for all to see! Only Christ can weave this fabric uniquely and beautifully that is an accurate deep representation of who He is!
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