Another Beautiful Day

The weather has really turned cooler the past few days and for some reason I'm a little sad today that the seasons are changing. Aren't we strange creatures? When it's scorching hot, I can't wait for winter and then when we start into Fall and I realize we're losing summer, I end up feeling sad. Go figure!! Regardless, it's been perfect weather lately. Michael and I took a drive over and did the rest of our shopping yesterday. He leaves on vacation in less than a week and he had to have another pair of pants to wear to his navy reunion up in Oregon so we just buzzed right on over and picked up a pair, which was good luck on our part because he has short legs and sometimes it's difficult to find a pair that will fit him. No one carries them in his size so he always has to hem them up anyway (which is what he's doing right now; that and watching football on TV). I've decided to take advantage of his vacation and do a lot of deep cleaning here at home while he's away. I thought I could just take a room a day and get it spotless before moving on to the next room the next day. There's so much that needs to be done and no way am I going to be able to do more than one room a day so that's what I set my goal to be: one room a day.

I had a super realistic dream night before last. I dreamt I was landing the Space Shuttle with a little remote control box with a couple toggle switches on it in my hands. It was soooo realistic! Wonder where that crazy dream came from??

I've decided not to wash my car today (I succeeded in washing it every Saturday for 9 weeks, yea!) because it's just not dirty. I guess it's so late in the season that the leaves have stopped dripping sap and even the birds (that messed it up so badly last week) must have gone south for the winter or something because there aren't any droppings on my car. Anyway, it's just not dirty enough to go to the trouble of washing it today. So I thought I'd use the time I normally use washing my car to write a short blog.

Yesterday's Daily Bible Verse piqued my interest and I wanted to write a blog around it but I can't get it laid out in the form I want. Plus there's a Scripture verse I want to quote and I can't find the reference. I found a couple that might work but they aren't the one I want so I'm going to put that off until another time. Chances are I'll never get back around to it so no one hold your breath or anything waiting for it. Today's verse is Romans 8:18-19: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed."

Suffering seems to be the most difficult part of the Christian life. We don't like it. We don't understand it. And we think we don't need it. But it's a big part of conforming us into the image of Christ. Most of the time we just want it to end and we just barely hang in there long enough. We feel like if it lasts another second we're not going to be able to stand it. But we should learn to grasp it as something dear. I know that's difficult for us to do but if we can just understand that the suffering changes us, changes our character and attitude and personality, it would be a lot easier for us. When we understand that suffering is necessary for this work, and understand that we are being conformed into the image of Christ, and that we are becoming new creations, it's easier to withstand the stress and pain. It takes time and effort for the Holy Spirit to build Christlike qualities in us and it often seems that once He decides to change us He never lets up; it seems our torment goes on forever.

But we can get a grip on the joy that comes through suffering if we think about perhaps having some type of elected surgery. Say a person has had a crooked nose since they broke it as a child falling off their bicycle. For years it's been out of shape and an embarrassment to live with. Finally a doctor comes along and recommends corrective surgery to repair and reposition it into it's original alignment. Finally, there's hope for this person. A chance to be and look normal and natural again. That person knows he's going to hurt when he undergoes this surgery and that recovery won't be easy by any means. Yet he can go into the surgery with a measure of joy and have great expectations for the beginning of a whole new life. The pain of surgery isn't worth comparing it with the pain he's felt for years and years from having a disfigured face. He knows the results will have been worth the suffering. That's the type of thing this Scripture is referring to.

Yes, it hurts to go through some of the changes we must go through to become the people God wants us to be, but the pain of that just can't be compared with the pain of staying the type of people we are. Becoming conformed into the image of Christ is a lot of work. A lot of time-consuming, exhausting, and often painful work. But embrace the pain because the person you are changing into is so much better than the person you are. Think back to your life before becoming a believer. What were you like then? Ill-tempered? Conceited? Impatient? Selfish? Chances are, if we're honest with ourselves we'll see that we weren't such great people at all. Slowly the Spirit has worked reshaping and transforming us into the people we are today. For that we can be joyful, even during the pain.

My son is currently going through a very difficult time with a new boss at work. It's been extremely stressful for him and if he could only see the changes that are being made on the inside it would be so much easier for him to endure. But we can't usually see the changes as they're being made, I think mostly because it happens so gradually. Also, I think it's something we have to take on faith. Scripture assures us that suffering is necessary if we want to be like Christ. So in faith we wade through the thick pain of change and trust God. That doesn't mean that we don't hurt, that it's not difficult and painful to endure at the time. It is. But we need to think ahead to the glory that will be ours in the future. If we keep our eyes focused on who and what we're becoming, it will make it a little easier to go through. That's what holds me together, praise God! And it can hold you together too. When it hurts, know you are sharing in the suffering of Christ and that, in ways you can't see, you are being changed and renewed, becoming entirely new creations.

It's past time for lunch and my stomach is making little growly sounds so I think I'll let this be it until Monday. I need to refill the hummingbird feeder too and try to get the house picked up a little bit. I sure hope I don't regret putting off washing my car but I've already made up my mind about that. And, there's still tomorrow after church if I should decide to change plans.