Mar
18
2022
A Natural Progression
Posted in Daily Living 4 Comments
Life becomes interesting when you find yourself acting out a scenario from a children’s book.
If you have been around young children, you know about this book.
If you have been around young children, you have most likely read this book to them.
If You Give A Mouse A Cookie is now being read to my grandchildren.
If you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk.
When you give him the milk, he’ll probably ask you for a straw.
The story builds from one thing to another.
It is a progression that children find amusing.
It is a progression that parents know well.
Perhaps that is why a child finds the book so funny.
The added requests are not manipulative.
They are simply the logical next thing that needs to be added.
My poor husband!
It has long been determined that I need more bookshelves.
The question is where would they go without making drastic changes?
The dream of a library with a rolling ladder will remain a dream.
However, I thought of a smaller bookshelf that I have in the finished part of our basement.
It matches all of our other bookshelves.
It really would be the perfect compromise.
I just had to move the things that were on the bookshelf to another location.
The bookshelf held my entire CD collection.
I had painstakingly put them in categories: rock, classical, jazz, instrumental, and soundtracks.
I had an entire shelf of Christmas CDs.
I had another section of CDs that were playlists made by my children.
When I took the CDs off the shelf I was amazed at the sheer number I have in my collection.
I still have a CD player tucked away, but with streaming music, it is almost obsolete.
That makes me a bit sad, since playing an album through is the best way to listen to it.
Artists go to great lengths to order their songs in such a way so that they tell a story.
I told my husband about my idea of moving the bookcase upstairs.
He willingly agreed.
I moved everything so the bookcase was empty for us to carry.
We got it upstairs and I told him where I thought it should go.
However, when it was placed there, I didn’t like it.
It didn’t go with the flow of the living room with the grand piano nearby.
He pointed across the room and made a suggestion.
This is when real life became the story in the children’s book.
We had to stop the movement of the bookshelf until we emptied another piece of furniture.
I had to empty the cabinet that held my turntable and album collection.
We carried the albums down the basement in batches.
We thought we were done until we opened a lower cabinet and found more albums in there.
We brought them downstairs in order so they could go back on shelf according to artist.
Carrying the cabinet itself was heavier than we anticipated.
Our stairs turn, so it made the task a little tricky.
We have furniture moving pads for floors or rugs, which allows us to slide the furniture easily.
What should have been an idea coming quickly to fruition, actually took many steps.
After the lifting and moving, I put things back, which took another hour of my time.
Am I at the glass of milk stage or the straw stage? I wondered with a giggle.
Each step was hinged to the next step in order to do the job efficiently.
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, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, 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)
There is a progression of qualities that is necessary in our lives as well.
One quality hinges on another.
There is a beginning to the progression and a natural culmination.
It begins with faith and ends with 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.
Isn’t it wonderful to know that this progression helps us be more effective?
Isn’t it satisfying to know that we have time to get from one quality to the next?
God, in His grace, knows that building character takes time.
One thing always leads to another in order for us to be productive in our spiritual life.
The bookshelf is in its new location in the living room, giving me more room for my books.
My CD’s are in a small Hoosier cabinet in the finished basement.
My record albums are in the cabinet where the bookcase used to be.
After all the unplanned work, I went to bed quite early, satisfied with the progression.
I find the list of virtues listed by Peter interesting. Make every effort to add to your faith “goodness.” I am surprised he did not list knowledge first. He mentions these virtues will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge! And if you do not have them you are near sighted and blind forgetting you have been cleansed from your past sins!
Mike,
I never thought of the points you made in the way you made them. Goodness first, then knowledge. I’m pondering all that may mean. Perhaps, Peter knew that “goodness” is only possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. Acknowledging our need for Him is the most important first step. Thank you for making me continue to think deeper on this verse.
Gina
How timely this is Gina. Frank and I are preparing to move furniture in the family room today. I like to change it up with the seasons. I’m sure I will be saying, “let’s try it over here” and Frank will graciously move that piece of furniture to a different spot.
Nancy,
Frank is God’s good gift to you.
Gina