As I sit here typing, I find my hands are a bit wrinkled and dry from all the washing I've done these past few days. My intent for fall break was to do my "fall cleaning". My ideal goal was to get the whole house cleaned thoroughly on Wednesday. But...I'm just finishing this evening...so, oh well.
When I was cleaning on Friday, I pondered how sweet it would be to have a cleaning lady who would come once a week to do the dusting, vacuuming, and mopping...AND the bathroom (yuck!). I mean, I'm allergic to dust bunnies, so shouldn't be insurance pay for a housekeeper? LOL. As I continued thinking of the WORK cleaning house is, my mind wandered to an analogy, which it often does. (What does that say about me?)
First, each time I ventured through my living room, my eyes would immediately go to the dust, trash, etc. which had accumulated under the recliner. When you sit on the recliner, you don't see it. When visitors come to my house, I doubt they stare under the recliner...but I, the owner, knew the junk was there. I knew I needed to vacuum it. However, did I? Nope. Each day this break, as I journeyed through the living room...I ignored it or said to myself, "Jodi, you need to get to that." Now, as I type this, I have just officially moved the recliner (Man, that was heavy to budge alone.) and plugged in the vacuum to suck up all the JUNK.
My analogizing (Hmmm, wonder if that's a word?) mind thought about the WORK that God does in us. His Spirit convicts us of the JUNK we've let into our lives/heart, and we know it needs to be surrendered to our Savior...but we keep ignoring it...telling ourselves either "nobody else will see it" or "I'll deal with it later". And just like that JUNK under my recliner, the longer I ignore the whisper to my spirit the more the junk accumulates. Hmmm, maybe I should have vacuumed under that recliner the first time I noticed the "junk", just like I should obey the convictions His Spirit brings to my heart.
Then, my thoughts went to that first thought, "Man, would it be nice to have someone come do the work for me." Let's face it, if I would've paid someone to clean my house, they wouldn't have taken a break to go buy some groceries, work at the Upwards soccer game, watch a television show, eat lunch with a friend, fill in for the secretary at church, or any of the other things I've spent my time on these past few days. My house would've been cleaned, and it would've been nice. Yet, I must admit...it's quite a feeling to know my house is clean and I did the work to get it done.
Again, an analogy popped into my head...God is God. He is all powerful. He is sovereign. He could easily make those ungodly aspects of my life disappear. He could easily make those struggles fade away. He could easily make me into that Proverbs 31 woman. But...He doesn't. He works in me and through me to mold me into who He's designed me to be. When a marred spot arises, He doesn't magically erase it, but His Spirit convicts me and allows the work to continue. There's a saying that reads "Don't expect perfection, God isn't finished with me yet." (Yes, that's not exactly the saying, but oh well). He, the God who created me could easily make me perfect, but He chooses not to do so. Instead, as I journey through this life with my personality flaws, my worldly struggles, and...let's just call it what it is...my sin, He leads me, molds me, and convicts me that I may become the woman of God He's intended me to be.
Well, time to get off of this computer...so blessings to you.
Dear God,
Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and don't take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me, the joy of my salvation, and prompt me to obedience to Your Word. Continue to mold me into the woman You've created me to be, and help me to faithfully remain in Your potter's hands. Thank You for teaching me even as I clean my house. I love You.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Proverbs 31?
Yep, I've heard countless talks on "How To Be A Proverbs 31 Woman", and like most women...I find myself lacking. Sometimes, it turns into a great motivation to refocus on my Savior and what He's calling me to do. But, I must admit, at times...it just discourages me and makes me wonder, "Who could do that?"
Of course, as I've aged (and I've aged a lot, I mean...I'm almost 40. LOL:-) I also have learned it was instruction to a male on what to look for in his potential mate. So, as I look at the verses...I examine myself...my successes, abilities...and my flaws as well. Sometimes, the latter is much easier to see and acknowledge, but I look at all three.
Let's see...
As far as "finding wool and flax and spinning it" (verse 13). Nope, wool makes me itch and knitting isn't my cup of tea. However, if I connect that to being useful and working hard...I think I've got that one.
"Preparing breakfast for my household" (verse 15) isn't my cup of tea either, but I do make sure Jasper, my cat, has food..most mornings at least. I do wake before dawn...the joy of being a teacher.
"Lamp burning late into the night"(verse 18)...well, nope...I'm a morning person and find my students are much better taught if I've had at least 7 hours of sleep...eight preferably.
All the verses about my husband? Well, I've not met him yet, at least I don't believe I have. I hope, if God wills, to one day be a wife a husband would trust and that I would enrich his life. However, as I continue to start each new year as a single woman...I try to leave that desire at God's altar. However, I must admit I pick it up a few times through the year.
As for the children. I don't clothe them, but I do make sure my students have on warm clothes (verse 21) for cold recesses. And if "her children" could be replaced with "her students", then they do stand and bless me...I mean what a blessing to have the love note on my desk that declares that "Miss P is the best techer in the werld."
But there's no question about verse 22b..."She dresses in...purple...". My students have come to expect me to, at least one day a week, wear purple. And, I find some days I put on my purple fuzzy socks just to make them smile or laugh. So, that verse is how I determined my URL...it's the one part of the chapter that I have covered in spades!
So, as I end my first ponderings....you can decide if this was priceless, peculiar, or petty...or possibly a mixture of all three.
Dear Lord,
How I strive to be a woman of noble character that you would be glorified through my thoughts, words, and actions. Help me not to be so wrapped up in imitating the "ideal" found in Proverbs 31 that I miss the bigger picture of simply being the woman you've created me to be. Thank you for my successes and my flaws as well...and the lessons you teach me through them all. You, my Precious Savior, are worthy of praise, and I love you.
Jodi Lea
Of course, as I've aged (and I've aged a lot, I mean...I'm almost 40. LOL:-) I also have learned it was instruction to a male on what to look for in his potential mate. So, as I look at the verses...I examine myself...my successes, abilities...and my flaws as well. Sometimes, the latter is much easier to see and acknowledge, but I look at all three.
Let's see...
As far as "finding wool and flax and spinning it" (verse 13). Nope, wool makes me itch and knitting isn't my cup of tea. However, if I connect that to being useful and working hard...I think I've got that one.
"Preparing breakfast for my household" (verse 15) isn't my cup of tea either, but I do make sure Jasper, my cat, has food..most mornings at least. I do wake before dawn...the joy of being a teacher.
"Lamp burning late into the night"(verse 18)...well, nope...I'm a morning person and find my students are much better taught if I've had at least 7 hours of sleep...eight preferably.
All the verses about my husband? Well, I've not met him yet, at least I don't believe I have. I hope, if God wills, to one day be a wife a husband would trust and that I would enrich his life. However, as I continue to start each new year as a single woman...I try to leave that desire at God's altar. However, I must admit I pick it up a few times through the year.
As for the children. I don't clothe them, but I do make sure my students have on warm clothes (verse 21) for cold recesses. And if "her children" could be replaced with "her students", then they do stand and bless me...I mean what a blessing to have the love note on my desk that declares that "Miss P is the best techer in the werld."
But there's no question about verse 22b..."She dresses in...purple...". My students have come to expect me to, at least one day a week, wear purple. And, I find some days I put on my purple fuzzy socks just to make them smile or laugh. So, that verse is how I determined my URL...it's the one part of the chapter that I have covered in spades!
So, as I end my first ponderings....you can decide if this was priceless, peculiar, or petty...or possibly a mixture of all three.
Dear Lord,
How I strive to be a woman of noble character that you would be glorified through my thoughts, words, and actions. Help me not to be so wrapped up in imitating the "ideal" found in Proverbs 31 that I miss the bigger picture of simply being the woman you've created me to be. Thank you for my successes and my flaws as well...and the lessons you teach me through them all. You, my Precious Savior, are worthy of praise, and I love you.
Jodi Lea
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