Laced With Grace

(current pic of my garage)

Do you have a messy garage? Or maybe it’s not your garage, but you know exactly what it is. That overcrowded storage unit you really need to empty. Your pantry or those junk drawers. Or your fridge filled with rotting leftover containers. Wherever and whatever it is, it’s an area of your life that is a mess. It’s affecting your daily life, taking up mental space and sucking up all of your energy.

Well that’s my life right now. I’m in the middle of going room by room, organizing, purging, and cleaning. Call it spring cleaning if you want. Whatever this is, it’s exhausting. It’s hard work looking through every nook and cranny. Actually I’m growing weary as I approach the finish line. This has been a few weeks of focused energy and I know I haven’t gotten rid of everything I should have. But I’ve made it through my entire house except the basement and garage. Currently I’m finishing up my office. What a mess. Two days ago I finally threw away my high school graduation gown from 1986. Call me a sentimental fool.   It feels great to have labels and homes for everything I’ve decided to keep.

And as I’ve worked, God has been showing me the messy places of my heart. I’ve invited Him to walk with me through this process and He is faithful to reveal what needs to go. It’s humbling to see I still hide jealousy, comparison and bitterness in the closet of my heart. I see places where I’ve grown complacent and I see the results of neglecting those areas. It’s not pretty, but it’s been freeing to let God have my mess. He is making my old His new again.

What a gift to do something I’ve been needing to do and in the process do some heart work with God.

How about you? Have you allowed God to look into the rooms of your heart lately?

God longs to free us from our everyday messes. He longs to declutter our lives and make room for what matters most:

* Him

* Family

* Other people

Father God, thank You for Your love and faithfulness. Thank You for not leaving me as we go room by room through my mess. Thank You for speaking life to me when I grow weary. Thank You for making my heart Your home. I love You, Jesus. Amen

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! Psalm 139:23 ESV

PS There is a classic short story about our hearts called My Heart, Christ’s Home.

Hugs from Colorado,

Tiffany – Tea with Tiffany

In His Time

  For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.  A time to be born and a time to die.  A time to plant and a time to harvest.  A time to kill and a time to heal.  A time to tear down and a time to build up.  A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.  A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.  A time to embrace and a time to turn away.   A time to search and a time to quit searching.  A time to keep and a time to throw away.   A time to tear and a time to mend.  A time to be quiet and a time to speak.  A time to love and a time to hate.  A time for war and a time for peace.  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NLT)

Timing is so important.  All the experiences listed in the above scripture are appropriate at certain times.

Jim and I have some important decisions to make; most of which have to do with our finances. One of our major decisions right now is in regards to our 17 year old car. Since purchasing the car in 2009 we have spent more money on repairs than it is currently worth.  We hate the thought of going into debt to purchase another vehicle – new or used.    In today’s economy one does not want to make a wrong or hasty decision.  When we do – it can lead to despair and even cause us to doubt or resent God’s timing.

The key to making sure we do not make hasty decisions is a four letter word most of us do not like to hear – WAIT.  This is so difficult when we believe we NEED whatever it may be – and sometimes we really may have a need, but God may want us to wait for His timing.  He only wants the best for us.  When we make a decision we need to have peace with God through prayer to discern, accept and appreciate God’s perfect timing.

So until Jim and I have peace, we choose to wait on God’s timing; trusting in His providence that our prayers will be answered in His time.

It’s almost time to plant. Here in Texas the trees are beginning to leaf out. On my walk the other day I saw sunny, yellow daffodils in a neighbor’s yard. So soon I will be digging in the dirt to add some color to our place.

If you are a gardener, then you know that gardening is not a one-time task. It’s a continual process. First you plant, water, and fertilize. Then you weed and pluck spent blooms. Then you water and fertilize. Then you weed and pluck spent blooms. Then you…

Yes, the plants are growing and blooming. The beds become increasingly beautiful. But the process is never quite complete.

It is the same with our spiritual growth. Even before God saved us, He purposed that we would look like Jesus. When we’re saved the transformation process begins. This is not a one-time event but a continual process.

¹ And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2, NLT

Grammatically, “transform” in verse 2 above refers to an ongoing change of condition and form. And while only the Holy Spirit can actually bring spiritual transformation, we must cooperate with Him. For us, it means an ongoing renunciation of the world and its ways and a renewal to God’s thinking and ways.

So, how’s the garden coming? Let’s pick up the spade and the pruning shears, get on our knees and get to work.