This was a two-shower day! I'm sure I must have gotten rid of lots of dead-skin cells in the shower today, but how silly it was to get all cleaned up first thing this morning -- only to get all sweaty and grimy as I spent several hours working outside in 80-degree temperatures. Last Saturday I began the project of getting rid of all the dead stuff in the yard, but didn't finish it. This afternoon I came closer to getting it done, but it seems the more I yank and scrape and cut, the more dead stuff I find!
At first I spent my time all alone with only my thoughts to keep me company, but then I discovered that my neighbor was out working in her yard also. So, eventually we found ourselves working side-by-side at the common border of our yards. We continued working together until both of us were aching and sneezing, after declaring several times that it was time to quit. What a great way to visit with a neighbor, plus come away with such a satisfying feeling of accomplishment for the time we spent outside enjoying the sunshine!
Isn't it funny how getting rid of the dead stuff can be both exhausting and exhilirating? Being outside in the warm sunshine is so wonderful, but working in the yard is so tiring! Cutting and pulling out all the old stuff is really a tough project, but it's only when the old, dead stuff is cleaned away that the new stuff really shows beautifully!
How true this in in our lives as well! There's no beauty or usefulness left in the old yucky, messed-up stuff that clutters up our lives -- it just prevents new growth from showing and thriving. That's why God does His work of pruning people. He knows just the right time to do it and the best way to do it.
Getting rid of the dead stuff isn't pleasant (in fact, it can be downright awful!), but it's so necessary and beneficial to new growth! Since new growth is so refreshing and beautiful, and pruning helps to promote new growth, why do we resist the pruning?
3 comments:
Your right Jeannie!! All that "yucky" stuff that keeps getting in our way, and holding us down. It's funny, we want to be rid of that old "yucky" stuff, but we tend to "hang on" to the memories of the "yucky" stuff. And it will keep us in chains! The old trick of the devil, to keep us from totally moving on to new and exciting things in our lives. I'm all for moving on in freedom.
This morning on my way to work, I rebuked the devil and his tactics in my life. I asked God to take control of my day, and be "Master", as He should be, and give me a "positive" day. I have been having quite a struggle at the Wal-Mart store the last while, in my department.
I got to work, and I had a call from the assistant manager, before I could even begin work. She told me she needed me to be in the Jewelry Department today, cause there was no one in that department. Now, "that" was an answer to my prayer! He took me right out of my department. I did have a "positive" day!
Today we got rid of a a lot of dead stuff too! It was town clean up day and we hauled two pickup loads to the garbage container after putting out five bags of leaves and junk for the special garbage truck. Two loads of old dirt went from our yard to a basement being backfilled.
Then we planted and watered grass seed. About 75% of our yard was dug up last fall and now its all landscaped and seeded and watered. So we pray for rain, and green grass.
Hey, cool in yours and Diannes areas too. It was about the same here after a few days of sunny 75 degree weather.
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