beWARM

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart. ~Psalm 138:1

The Lenten 40, Day 27

If God charged for His Services, I would be bankrupt.  I have asked Him countless times for assistance in rearranging the inner rooms of my heart.

Unfailingly, He has offered His insights – and, almost always, I take His suggestions. (And if I don’t, there usually comes a time when I realize that I should have.)

My contemplative prayer time each day has been a centering respite, especially this last week, when the circumstances of life have taken center stage.

It all seemed so simple last May when we sold our home. Because the new owners weren’t ready to move yet, we were able to rent back for 1 year. Thankful for the flexibility we were given, we went about living here as if the house were still ours.

We considered a multitude of options for our next move – including relocating to a different state altogether.  As the months ticked away, we prayed that our direction would soon be clear.

Finally, everything fell into place…and in a few short weeks, we will be moving across town.

In the jumble of where and when and how, my thoughts have revolved around  home-related details. I daydream about which pieces of furniture will fit and where they should be placed, and anticipate some much needed purging.

Our rooms hold stacks of flattened boxes, ready and waiting to be taped together and filled.

While these imminent tasks beckon, so does God.

I visualize Him at the end of a long path, motioning for me to come toward Him. Blocking my way are brambles  – thick, thorny and ominous. Some pruning is definitely in order before I can get closer to the Lord.

Am I up to the challenge?

God’s message is clear: our innermost thoughts and decisions should be directed toward Him, seeking to do His will in every area of our lives. As we gain strength in our inner being, we find solid ground as Christ dwells in our hearts.

Muyskens writes, “by faith we come empty to Him to make room for His grace in order that He alone may fill us!”

During these next action-packed (no pun intended!) weeks, I will have to try harder than ever to be God-centered.

As fun – and challenging – as decorating a house can be, the end results are only a backdrop to what’s really important – the hearts of the people who live within, and of those who come through the doors.

I pray that all of our inner sanctums will be a welcoming home where God’s love will reside.

And I readily consent to His reconstruction…

Christ is in you. ~Romans 8:10

Today’s Lectio: Psalm 138

My Word: SING  My Phrase: YOU PRESERVE MY LIFE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weekend Reference

The Lenten 40, Day 28

By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. ~Ephesians 2:8

Today’s Lectio: Ephesians 2:4-10

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once again, my apologies for the lack of reference listings for the past week.  If any of you would like those, please email me and I will send them. Blessings to you for your understanding!