We're about to make our 4th move in 4 years (or 5th move if you count this in-between time waiting at my in-law's before we move into our house). Do you ever feel like you're so stuck in your head that you literally can't see past an inch in front of your face? Your life circumstance is so unknown that your mind plays games with you and you believe all the crazy scenarios that run through your mind? Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just crazy.
I would just sit and stare at this lamp and literally believe we were never going to leave that dungy, dark apartment. I never made that place home, I never made it into what I enjoy; it was just dungy in my mind. I couldn't see beyond that apartment. This lamp (along with other sad looking pieces of our furniture) symbolized a sad existence in my mind. I felt hopeless. We were never going to afford a nice house or ever leave that depressing hole.
I would dream of this beautiful wide open, cheery, charming home and then look at this lamp and believe I would never see the day when that charming home would be mine. I couldn't let my mind go to dreaming of how I would decorate it and how I would love it. It wasn't possible. All I could see was the dungy apartment and the sad looking pieces of furniture.
But God has been graciously teaching me the very hard lesson of gratefulness.
We had a closing date on our house for the middle of the month so the day did come when we moved out of that dungy apartment and moved into my in-law's beautiful, charming country home for what was supposed to be two weeks of waiting, but as some of you homeowners know, closing dates can change and here we are going into week 4 of waiting. Again I found myself so stuck inside my head that I couldn't see an inch past my face. I was so stuck, so wrapped up in the unknown that I wasn't enjoying what was right in front of me.
I complained about the house, I was a total brat, I was making the waiting a lot harder on my husband, I cried, I even brought up cancelling the whole contract and finding another house, I was being so ungrateful. And again God was graciously teaching me more about gratefulness because waiting can be such a beautiful time.
Suddenly on a walk with my two babies, one chatting away in the stroller and one snuggled in my sling, the warm afternoon sun beating down, I turned the corner to the driveway of our beautiful waiting home and I realized God doesn't do things for a reason, He does things to bring Him Glory and honor. In that moment, I felt that wall in my head crumble and suddenly I could see way beyond our current circumstance. I could see the beauty all around, literally and metaphorically; I could breathe and dream and appreciate. I took that walk back to the house much slower and decided to praise and thank the Lord instead.
God is such a good God and He wants good things for those who love Him. I may not be getting that bright, cheery, charming home I've always dreamt of but I can be grateful and make it a home, our home. And maybe that's the point. We can grumble and complain and be bratty, ungrateful girls stuck with a sad looking lamp in a dungy apartment or we can be grateful girls who can see beyond the circumstance and decide to brighten up that sad lamp and make home wherever we are. Tomorrow is unknown, our next place to live is unknown but we can make home today.
(I finally unpacked our suitcases in our waiting home)
Are you going to be a grateful girl and bring some homey cheer to that sad lamp?
I would just sit and stare at this lamp and literally believe we were never going to leave that dungy, dark apartment. I never made that place home, I never made it into what I enjoy; it was just dungy in my mind. I couldn't see beyond that apartment. This lamp (along with other sad looking pieces of our furniture) symbolized a sad existence in my mind. I felt hopeless. We were never going to afford a nice house or ever leave that depressing hole.
But God has been graciously teaching me the very hard lesson of gratefulness.
We had a closing date on our house for the middle of the month so the day did come when we moved out of that dungy apartment and moved into my in-law's beautiful, charming country home for what was supposed to be two weeks of waiting, but as some of you homeowners know, closing dates can change and here we are going into week 4 of waiting. Again I found myself so stuck inside my head that I couldn't see an inch past my face. I was so stuck, so wrapped up in the unknown that I wasn't enjoying what was right in front of me.
I complained about the house, I was a total brat, I was making the waiting a lot harder on my husband, I cried, I even brought up cancelling the whole contract and finding another house, I was being so ungrateful. And again God was graciously teaching me more about gratefulness because waiting can be such a beautiful time.
Suddenly on a walk with my two babies, one chatting away in the stroller and one snuggled in my sling, the warm afternoon sun beating down, I turned the corner to the driveway of our beautiful waiting home and I realized God doesn't do things for a reason, He does things to bring Him Glory and honor. In that moment, I felt that wall in my head crumble and suddenly I could see way beyond our current circumstance. I could see the beauty all around, literally and metaphorically; I could breathe and dream and appreciate. I took that walk back to the house much slower and decided to praise and thank the Lord instead.
God is such a good God and He wants good things for those who love Him. I may not be getting that bright, cheery, charming home I've always dreamt of but I can be grateful and make it a home, our home. And maybe that's the point. We can grumble and complain and be bratty, ungrateful girls stuck with a sad looking lamp in a dungy apartment or we can be grateful girls who can see beyond the circumstance and decide to brighten up that sad lamp and make home wherever we are. Tomorrow is unknown, our next place to live is unknown but we can make home today.
(I finally unpacked our suitcases in our waiting home)
Are you going to be a grateful girl and bring some homey cheer to that sad lamp?
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