Lent Day 8

I can’t believe it’s already noon and I’ve not posted!  I had the post all ready to put on and then work got crazy!!

Today, as I was watching the sunrise, I was so grateful.  Grateful for the beauty.  It got me thinking that I often find myself very narrow minded and focused on tasks that I forget to look up.  So, if you see any of my recent posts on Facebook lately, you know that I’m in that mode, hard at work starting to make our home beautiful.  This is my creative outlet.  It’s also an expensive one.  So, I’ve really held off for a while because I knew that I just couldn’t do what I wanted to do.  Then we received some amazing gift cards from you all, which began my creative juices flowing!  But then it all stopped.  I didn’t know what to do-which paint to choose-what hardware to choose for the kitchen-should I do the kitchen or paint the rooms-should I keep the walls white like an art gallery to let the color come from other things or should I paint the walls-if I paint the kitchen will it start a downward spiral to other things that I want to do but can’t afford………so on and so forth…do you ever spiral like that with things in your mind?  Projects around the house?  Work or friendship issues that need to be resolved or addressed, but you just sort of stay stuck in your seat unable to move forward?

I find that when I get into this place that I also loose sight of the beauty that Christ has given me in even the littlest things.  I actually feel like I’m in a pit...stuck…and can’t get out.  I know that might seem severe, but it’s true.  I actually can’t see the forest for the trees.  The subtle thing in the forest like the scent of the pine or the color of the redwood is something I miss.  The Lord created all the beauty around me for so many purposes, but I wonder if one purpose is for us to see it and marvel at Him, his handiwork, his care that he could have made our world functional, but also made it beautiful.  And he did make it so beautiful!! So full of life that each sensory capacity we have can interact with creation-to move towards our creator.   Now, this doesn’t give me free reign on my house beautification project! But even as I enter into this process of painting, screwing in handles, hanging pictures…having a mindset that this project is a beauty project of sorts.  When I say that I mean that as I paint, sand, labor, arrange…that I enter into this with the Lord.  I allow him to be apart of the process as He is the one who has gifted us with you, who gifted us with gift cards to do projects around our house.  I can rejoice, give thanks to the Lord for his care in placing us at SNC and ask for his care over you as I paint.  I can look at my kitchen knowing that you provided this all for us.  He is using you to bless our home and bring beauty in it.  (Thank you!!! Beyond measure, thank you!)

Today as you continue on in your day and evening, ask the Lord to open your eyes to see his beauty all around you.  Take it in-through each sensory capacity he has given you.  How can you give thanks to the Lord today for each little thing he’s given you? Perhaps it’s many things.  Perhaps you are in a place where you can only really see one thing.  That’s okay.  It’s a discipline-to open your eyes to see his work around you-for you-pursuing you.  Orient your mind towards this and give him praise today.