"Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God; let Thy good Spirit lead
me on level ground." Psalm 143:10
I'll talk about the stuffing first. No, not the Thanksgiving stuffing.
~Smile~ The stuffing of a house with things. I am a terrible pack rat. I
know that I have admitted that to you before, and I've been working on my
problem for months and months; but as I've shared with you in times past,
"household debt" does not just disappear overnight. It takes years
sometimes to break some of those bad habits and to clean up some of those
awful debts. For months I have been working on the areas that everyone
sees. And I've been so pleased to see progress. However, the LORD gently
gave me eyes to see, while my husband talked, that I needed to start
working on the unseen areas. For I cannot adequately serve in a home that
is bulging at the seams with stuff, stuff, and more stuff. It just weighs
me down.
What set this whole talk off? Well, my cupboards and pantry are so packed
that we couldn't find many needed items for our Thanksgiving dinner. I
couldn't find the carving knife. I couldn't find the big fork to hold the
meat while carving. I couldn't find my empty pie pans. I couldn't find
plastic bowls with lids for the leftovers. Actually, I could find the
bowls, but I couldn't find the lids. When my husband went and looked for
these things, after my pointing to their general direction, he gave up
almost immediately due to the overpopulation of things in every area. I
knew I was in trouble when I had a friend over for pie baking the day
before. (We broke in my oven with a total of 11 pies by the end of the
day.~Smile~) That day I had trouble finding certain pans and felt that
familiar pain at my "pack ratting ways."
So during our talk my husband said he would help me. My eyebrows shot up.
"Friday we will go through everything." he said. My eyebrows shot up a
little farther. You see, I am a stacker and my husband is a sacker. He
sacks everything unnecessary and some necessary. I stack everything
necessary and unnecessary! I saw us working together in my mind's eye.
I'd be gripping and he'd be ripping. That's when I started praying, "Oh,
LORD, help me to get rid of the unnecessary before Friday comes. Let me
surprise him."
I just about did. It took five hours, and part of two days, but I did it.
My husband was more than pleased. I cleaned out three cupboards and my
entire pantry. Now I have one more cupboard to go. Two I did this
morning. I can't wait to show him tonight. The LORD helps me so much, I
cannot thank Him enough. It is painful to grow in this area, but so very
necessary for the health of my house.
"Blessed be the LORD, my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, and my
fingers for battle." Psalm 144:1
Now for the striving. What is that you ask? Well, I really love people.
This weekend we had five troubled teens at our table. Most had bald heads
and baggy clothing. They didn't talk much and generally looked
disinterested in their surroundings. But I loved them. I hugged each one
of them when they arrived and when they left. I made special food for
them. I squeezed their shoulders when I passed by. I prayed for them
while my husband talked with them about His Kingdom. The LORD has put
such a love in my heart for people. (Sometimes I just want to burst at
the joy of it all, for I use to feel quite the opposite.) But that is
where my trouble lies. I tend to talk too much in social settings.
Especially if there is a woman around that I really enjoy. I so much want
to make everyone feel comfortable that I "try too hard," is how my
husband kindly put it.
Oh, if it's just a woman and I alone, there is usually no problem. I
love to get together with a friend and talk. I find that most women have
this wonderful art of conversing among each other that defies all
description! Talking with some women is better than eating the finest
chocolate. I come away encouraged and lifted up to keep going in so many
areas of my life. But in a social setting, I strive too hard to achieve
what comes so naturally among my woman friends. My husband told me On
Thanksgiving day, "Listen more, Laine. Pull back a little. Listen without
interjecting so many added remarks."
" 'She' who restrains her words has knowledge, and 'she' who has a cool
spirit is a 'woman' of understanding." Proverbs 17:27
This growing pain hurt quite a bit. But again, I knew that my husband was
trying to help me. It was for my own spiritual health and for the good of
those around me. It is that beautiful balance that I long for in so many
areas of my life. Areas that I keep growing in. So the next day I
practiced what he said. It took a lot of focus to keep myself in check,
because I am nuts about my inlaws. But I learned that once my
sister-in-law, my mother-in-law and I were alone, we could enjoy catching
up with one another. There was that easy flow of conversation that I
enjoy so much. There is a time to listen, and there is a time to talk. I
am learning. I am learning!
" 'She' who guards 'her' mouth and 'her' tongue, guards 'her' soul from
trouble."
Proverbs 21:23
The LORD helps me to reduce the stuffy stacking, and He helps me to pull
back on the striving to speak. It is His wonderful balance that I want to
see practiced in my life. Oh, there is pain involved in the growing
process; for I don't think we can be Children of His and avoid it. But if
we submit to His direction, it is always for our own good. So I submit.
And the pain becomes His gain in my life. Guess what? I can find my pie
pans again.
Love,
Laine