(Enjoy and be challenged by this guest post by Lisa Thurman. And, no, this is not a picture of the refurbished guest bedroom. Sorry. Contact Lisa directly if you're interested in an overnight stay at the Thurman Bed & Get-Your-Own-Breakfast.)
We recently completed a home improvement project at our house and I have to say I’m quite pleased with the results! Although there were no tearing down or building up of walls or ripping out of anything, we did repaint, refurnish, and redecorate our guest room. The transformation is astounding, as the many people I have drug through there can testify too.
There was one small snag. In my mind it no longer was a guest room but now a shrine of beauty; it was to be looked at and admired but not touched. Until the morning that as I was enjoying my first cup of coffee one of my son’s friends bounded down the stairs and said, “Your guest room is great! Very comfortable and welcoming. A little on the girly side but other than that it’s great. I tried to put your pillows back like you had them. Love you, see you later!” I stood there shell shocked mumbling a “love you too” and realized this must be what it feels like to get the first ding in the door of a brand new car. With the sting of a band-aid being ripped off I had been served a good dose of “get over it” for breakfast. Yummy, like fish oil.
I had to do a little self evaluation over my feelings and what was behind them. So, it was ok for anyone to use the guest room when it was a hodge-podge of early marriage eclectic stuff but when it actually looked like a decent room, suddenly the clientele should be different? Why did I now think it was too nice for the people who actually used it frequently? Interesting. Not very flattering, but interesting.
Then the Holy Spirit did a connect the dots for me. Do I ever think I’m too spiffy and put together to engage with those who are more…eclectic? Do you know what I mean? I’ve been cleansed and forgiven and made new but now I think that I’m so good that I shouldn’t be used for just anyone, I need to just interact with those who can appreciate and are similar to my goodness. What a load of manure.
As my pastor says, “Here’s the impact statement”, in this case, impact paragraphs.
The function of a guest room is to host guests, no matter how pretty it is; in fact, don’t all my guests deserve the best I can offer them? A room that I don’t allow to be used is, well, useless. What was the point of making it nice if it can’t be used?
It’s the same with my life. The closer I imitate my Lord, the more “refurbished” I get. What’s the point if He can’t use me to interact with anyone He wants to bring across my path? And typically, it’s not other “refurbished” people but those who need a new paint job plus. He wants to show His best to the lost so that they can see Him through us, but if we think we are too good, what good are we?
No other religion, no other philosophy promises new bodies, hearts, and minds. Only in the gospel of Christ do hurting people find such incredible hope. Joni Eareckson Tada
Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Romans 12:9-10
No comments:
Post a Comment