House Painting Lessons

We just recently had the interior of our house painted. It really needed some freshening up, and my husband and I are no longer able to get up on ladders or down in the floor, so we had to hire professionals to come in and get the job done. It was quite an eye-opening experience, in more ways than one. I am always amazed when God shows up to teach me something in the most mundane, everyday circumstances. I mean, we always expect Him to show up on Sunday at church, don't we? (Or at least we should!) But on Tuesday afternoon, in our living room? But God can teach us deep lessons about life any time, any where. So let me share with you a few things I learned while my walls were being painted: 1. A new coat of paint will not look good if there are flaws underneath; the flaws will always show through. I thought about how many times I have tried to hide the "flaws" in my life by "slapping a fresh coat of paint" over them - but the flaws always came through. The outside is not what God looks at: it is what's underneath that matters! (I Samuel 16:7) 2. When trying to fix flaws, it is always better to let the experts do it! I don't have the knowledge and skills to make lasting repairs. It is the same with our spiritual lives: we can't simply decide to do better, or "turn over a new leaf"; we need to let the expert, the Holy Spirit, work on us and in us. That is the process of sanctification: God, through the Holy Spirit, makes the changes we need to "repair" our flaws, so we become more and more like Jesus! 3. Making changes is not quick, or easy. It takes a lot of work. In painting my house, it took a team of three men. To make changes in my life also takes the work of three: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. I cannot make the changes myself, I have to let them do the necessary work! Yes, I learned a few things while my house was being painted. Maybe we should not just look for God to show up on Sundays, at church. Maybe we need to be more open to what God has to teach us on a daily basis, right here in the midst of our ordinary, everyday lives. Amen? Amen!