Jan
23
2013
Detours
Posted in Daily Living 3 Comments
Did you ever have one of those mornings?
Nothing terrible.
Just…instead of going in a straight line…you go down lots of rabbit holes.
My husband had a four day weekend this past weekend.
He loves coffee.
I have never tasted coffee…have no desire to…don’t even like the smell.
He loves when I make him coffee.
So…I make him coffee.
I went to the canister and saw that there wasn’t enough coffee to make a pot for him.
I opened the pantry and got another bag of his favorite coffee.
I filled the canister.
I made the coffee…which was now beginning to brew.
I got the sugar bowl and noticed that it needed to be filled.
I went to the canister and saw that there wasn’t enough sugar inside.
I opened the baking cabinet and got a five pound bag of sugar…which in reality is not five
pounds anymore…but rather four…what happened to the other pound?
I filled the sugar canister.
I opened the refrigerator to get out the evaporated milk for him…the special milk he puts in his coffee.
There was no evaporated milk in the refrigerator.
I opened the pantry and got another can of milk.
My footsteps around the kitchen reminded me of a Family Circus cartoon.
I smiled…imagining how Bill Keane would have drawn the path of my detours.
I decided that I would have a cup of tea with some wheat crackers and peanut butter.
I opened the cabinet.
Someone finished the crackers and didn’t replace them.
I opened the pantry and got another box of whole wheat crackers.
Just one of those Give A Mouse A Cookie mornings!
Life can be so daily sometimes!
The routine is usually comforting.
But there are days…
Days when you feel as if detours are all there is…instead of the path of least resistance.
Are those detours there to frustrate us…to anger us?
Those detours are there to sanctify us.
For this very reason make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge self-control; and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(2 Peter 1:5-8)
Sanctification is like a pearl.
A natural pearl is formed when a foreign substance slips into the oyster.
It lodges there between the mantle and the shell.
The substance irritates the mantle so the oyster’s natural reaction is to protect itself.
The irritant is covered by layers of a substance called nacre, which also makes up the shell.
Eventually, the irritant is covered with layers upon layers of nacre.
That covering, over time, produces a natural pearl.
God’s sanctification is a process of God’s continuing work…over time.
Continuing work that is done through the power of the Holy Spirit to make us holy.
Holy and more like Jesus.
But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written; “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15,16)
The little annoyances, frustrations, interruptions, and detours are often Divinely orchestrated so that we learn to live out the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22,23)
When we are in the midst of a detour, we don’t feel very holy.
We feel like complaining, blaming…shutting the cabinet door a bit more loudly.
That’s the thing about irritations in our lives.
They show us what is really in our heart.
In our own strength, we respond to irritations in an ungodly manner.
Thank goodness, the Holy Spirit continues to sanctify us so that we are able to respond in His strength…in a way that is pleasing to God.
We don’t always succeed…but that is part of the sanctification process, too.
The pearl is wrapped in layers upon layers of nacre.
We, who are in Christ, are wrapped in His righteousness.
The more time we spend with the Lord…in His Word and in prayer…the more we love what He loves and hates what He hates.
We begin to despise that ungodly, worldly response in us.
The response that so quickly rises to the surface.
In Him, we can step back, take a deep breath, ask for His help, and respond in a way that is pleasing to Him.
One of those mornings?
Smile!
Know that if you are in Christ you are being wrapped in His righteousness.
Instead of an irritant…there will be a pearl.
You are lovely.
Made more beautiful because of the struggle.
Holy.
Priceless.
“Thank goodness”—– That comment always makes me think, “Who is Goodness and why should we thank him??” Thank GOD that He is there- and HERE — for us to thank.
🙂
Love this! I feel like every morning has those irritating detours with some thing or another. This really gave me something to think about, as you always seem to do 🙂 Thanks Gina!
Melissa,
How I love to see your face at Bible study!
God is growing you in leaps and bounds.
Stay close to Him and His Word…and let Him continue to teach you.
Your hunger to know Him more is contagious!
Gina