Under Construction
Some of my regular readers have emailed wondering if I was ok since I have been absent for nearly a week. I thank you for your concern and want to reassure you that things at chez Adrienne are just fine.
About a month before Christmas, we started to redecorate our bedroom. This was not a simple project, as it required taking down old wallpaper and replacing it with textured wallpaper to hide the drastically imperfect walls. Next would come the painting and rearrangement of furnishings and decorative accents.
My friend's illness prevented this project from going forward, leaving the bedroom in a state of true ugliness. Over the past week, we have managed to play catch up, and it will be done by Easter. Yesterday, we completed the wallpapering and have started to paint.
I believe in what Scripture teaches us through the Holy Catholic Church, so I have managed to not go completely crazy over the state of the bedroom. If we are to believe “all things work for good”, then somewhere in this mess there may be a message.
It occurred to me this morning that during Lent, we are trying to shed ourselves of some of the ugliness in our lives. By the end of Lent, we should have accomplished some “wallpapering and painting” of our souls. First though, we had to peel back and discard some of the old ugly stuff.
Maybe some of our “ugliness” is anger, impatience, or worry. We are angry when things don’t go the way we want them to go. We show impatience with the people in our lives we perceive as standing in our way. We worry needlessly about things we cannot change instead of changing the things we can. It reminds me of the commercial on TV where the voices proclaim, “I want it all, and I want it now!” This could well be the anthem for our time.
Some of my regular readers have emailed wondering if I was ok since I have been absent for nearly a week. I thank you for your concern and want to reassure you that things at chez Adrienne are just fine.
About a month before Christmas, we started to redecorate our bedroom. This was not a simple project, as it required taking down old wallpaper and replacing it with textured wallpaper to hide the drastically imperfect walls. Next would come the painting and rearrangement of furnishings and decorative accents.
My friend's illness prevented this project from going forward, leaving the bedroom in a state of true ugliness. Over the past week, we have managed to play catch up, and it will be done by Easter. Yesterday, we completed the wallpapering and have started to paint.
I believe in what Scripture teaches us through the Holy Catholic Church, so I have managed to not go completely crazy over the state of the bedroom. If we are to believe “all things work for good”, then somewhere in this mess there may be a message.
It occurred to me this morning that during Lent, we are trying to shed ourselves of some of the ugliness in our lives. By the end of Lent, we should have accomplished some “wallpapering and painting” of our souls. First though, we had to peel back and discard some of the old ugly stuff.
Maybe some of our “ugliness” is anger, impatience, or worry. We are angry when things don’t go the way we want them to go. We show impatience with the people in our lives we perceive as standing in our way. We worry needlessly about things we cannot change instead of changing the things we can. It reminds me of the commercial on TV where the voices proclaim, “I want it all, and I want it now!” This could well be the anthem for our time.
If you want to be open to the workings of the Holy Spirit in your life, you must rip anger and worry out of your life, just as we did with the old wallpaper. Left behind will be a wounded and scarred wall, but the Holy Spirit is waiting with a bucket of beautiful new paint. I bet He will even let you choose the color.
10 comments:
As I've mentioned previously about things you write, very well put.
Oh Tom - you are always so sweet to your Auntie A.
I just decided to buy new paint. I don't like the colors now that they are on the wall. Will this torture never end????? Makes for a good Lent, though. LOL
My house (when I get my other property sold) will undergo a major revamp and expansion. (sigh...)
Selecting what and how, but above all WHO will do the job is a major source of stress for me if I harp on it for too long. Might end up on meds. to calm my nerves. LOL!
I think I'll skip the meds. (for now) and stick to faith and Divine Providence.
Nice analogy!
Great spiritual application.
Thanks.
Super post..I love this analogy!
even Gregory the Great would be proud of your way of winding everyday life through the filter of scripture.
I could always use a wee bit o' spiritual redecorating myself lol
I'm with Scott!
The Fixer has made you an award. Come over and collect it!
Excellent observations.
Sometimes, (when I have the emotional energy) I can "get rid of stuff" by asking "is this "X" adding ANYTHING positive to my life?" If my answer is NO I get the lift to toss it. It's a good reminder to do that with the intangibles too!
Karen
Post a Comment