Day 4- PERSPECTIVE

Today, I began to work on packing up the kitchen. I think the kitchen is one of the most complicated rooms in a house to pack. There's so many little details, and individually wrapping dishes can be a tedious task. As I went through cabinet after cabinet, I discovered I have way more dishes than I will ever use. Why have I even held onto this stuff so long? Sean and I were generously given an entire set of Pfaltzgraff dishes with all the extras when we got married. I'm talking canister set, serving bowls, platters, salt and pepper, creamer, teapot...the works. I've used very little of it. I think I held it for sentimental purposes up until we moved into this home almost 6 yrs ago, Since then, God's really done a deep work in my heart about a lot of things, and I'm just not attached to a lot of stuff anymore.  Everything I have is because God graciously gave it to me, and He owns it all. I also know that I have more than I need and it's a lot more fun to get free stuff, so why not give it away? I posted some items on Facebook, and was so excited to see a friend who is getting ready to move into a new home say she could really use these dishes. It blessed my heart to see that they could go to such a sweet family who wanted them and would use them.

I didn't get the kitchen finished. It's actually a complete mess right now. I ended up cleaning out a LOT of stuff though, and the boxes I am giving away are bigger than what I ended up keeping. I realized very quickly that this was not a one day job because I was stopping to go through so many things in order to declutter.  Not my original plan and not much seemed accomplished. Or was it?

Sometimes, we look at things on too small of a scale. We see only what we can see in front of us. If I based the measurement of accomplishment on what I see right now, it would not be much. If you looked at my kitchen right now, you'd wonder if I did anything at all in there today but make a big mess. However, I did accomplish a lot today. A whole lot more than what is visible.

In the middle of this CHRISTmas season, when all we can see are the "to do" lists in front of us, and the lack we feel inside or around us, look up. Stop to ask the Lord for His view that is so much bigger than ours.

This afternoon, Sean had to do some visiting at the hospital. He texted me on his way home and asked if I wanted him to bring me a muffin from a local bakery that makes the best muffins on the planet. Well, yes! He dropped it off and hurried back into the office to finish his work day. I heated up a cup of coffee I had let get cold in the midst of all of my work, and I sat down and enjoyed a wonderful reprieve from the mess around me. It was still. It was quiet. It was perfect. For ten sweet minutes, I felt God speaking His words over me and His perspective on my day....and they were good. They were sweet. They were beautiful. They were refreshing.

I thought of the verse in Luke about Mary pondering all that she had been told. To ponder is to meditate, consider, weigh, be deliberate, contemplate, or wonder. There is much we can't control about our work days, families, and daily activities, but we can all take a few minutes and listen to the Lord speak to us. I had heard from the Lord this morning before my day began, and yet, in the peak of my day, when He knew I would be tired from the work, He continued speaking to my heart. That ten minutes was enough refreshment to get me ready for what I call "Round 2"- picking up kids from school, which is when the real work, and often chaos, begins. Just so you know- it was a wonderful evening, too. :)

One translation says that "Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." When you are tempted to give in to what you can only see, keep in mind the truths of God and keep them close to your heart. Go to Him and ask Him for refreshment. Meditate on what you know to be true. Consider God's goodness. Weigh His grace which covers your sin. Be deliberate to seek Him. Contemplate His promises. Then, wonder at the miracle of CHRISTmas.

"But Mary kept all of these things in her heart and thought about them often." Luke 2:19 (NLT)

We should, too.