or maybe the clueless assisting the clueless –  at any rate, such was the situation I found myself in today; me being the blind, clueless one attempting to assist the one in need.  Now I’m sure there is someone better qualified out there somewhere; but I was the one available at the time, no one else was around.

It was the confused look on his face that first got my attention as I exited my car, intending to run a quick errand in the store and be on my way.  He seemed to be wandering the parking lot, as I watched, searching for something.  That something, I assumed was his car.  How often have I forgotten where I parked? Still, he was moving slowly, looking discouraged and I wondered how long he had been hunting for his car.  It was midday and the sun was hot on the asphalt parking lot.

I struck up a conversation with this elderly gentleman saying that I too could often not find my car in these big, busy parking lots.  I asked him what kind of a car he was looking for.  Little did he know that coming from me, this is really a ridiculous question.  Why?  Because to me, a car is basically four tires and a color.  My categories of recognition are; truck, van, jeep, SUV and car, color being the differentiating factor in any category.  Make and model mean nothing to me visually.  They all look alike.  (now you understand the title of this post)

He informed me we were looking for a metallic blue Pontiac.  OK  Blue, I can do.  I know blue.  It’s surprising how many blue cars there can be in a parking lot on any given day.  Who knew?  Noticing that his cart was full of groceries, I suspected that he had wandered farther than I first realized, because the grocery entrance to the store was aways over from where we were currently.  I, being the anomaly, always park in the section of the parking lot I come to first, use that store entrance, walk through the store to the groceries, then walk back through the store to exit where I first entered. (trying to get my ten thousand steps I guess, even though I don’t wear a fit bit)  But most grocery shoppers park closer to the grocery entrance.

So much for my deductive reasoning skills.  As we headed back toward the cars closer to the grocery entrance, I enlisted the help of a young man who was rounding up the carts from the parking lot to return them to inside the store. Young guys know cars, right?  He could probably help us.  Sure enough, first thing he asked was for the gentleman to use the “clicker” or whatever you call that thing attached to the car keys that locks and unlocks the car and makes that beep with the lights flickering when it does so.

Now in quiet darkness this would have been a surefire plan.  But at high noon on a sunny, July day in a noisy, crowded parking lot we were not going to see or hear anything, even though we tried.  And so the search continued.  We split up, (I could move faster and cover more ground) with me running up to any vehicle that I thought looked to be metallic blue and trying to read any names written on it, in order to discover what kind of a car it actually was.  Hoping each time that it would read, “Pontiac”, I continued my search.

This poor, unfortunate man.  His frozen foods were defrosting fast.  I was sure if he knew the truth about me, his would be rescuer, he would realize that his helper needed help.  Half the time I don’t even recognize my own car in any given parking lot.  I approach a car of the same color and approximate size as mine and start clicking away on my clicker, all the while wondering while my car is not responding.    My first clue is usually when I look through the window of said car and don’t recognize the things inside the car as my belongings.  Then I quickly slink away, fervently hoping no one is watching.

I was clearly the wrong person for this job.  At least that nice young store employee was helping us search now.  Sooner rather than later, we did find the gentleman’s car, helped him transfer his groceries and sent him on his way.  I was relieved and grateful as I returned to my errand, thanking God for His mercy and His care while pointing out that I was the least likely, least able person to help this nice gentleman.  Still, I thank You , Heavenly Father, for allowing me the privilege of showing Your kindness to a stranger.  (well, a stranger to me, not to You)

“But He (the Lord) said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

sincerely,           Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

make me a doorkeeper, what more could I seek?  make me a doorkeeper, Your company to keep

make me a doorkeeper – it’s who I want to be; make me a doorkeeper – everyday Your face to see

make me a doorkeeper – it’s what I want to do;  make me a doorkeeper – so I can be near You

make me a doorkeeper –  though my life won’t be my own; even King David thought to be Your doorkeeper better than his earthly throne

let me sit at Your threshold, let me stand at Your door;  bestow on me this favor – I couldn’t ask for more

better to be a servant in Your house, than to be ruler in my own;  I long to live in Your house – this world is not my home

better to stand at Your door for a day, learning to love You – following in Your way

than to lie in the palaces of the wicked forever, pursuing their pleasures while missing the treasures

of abiding under the shelter of Your wings;  receiving Your protection along with all good things

yes, make me a doorkeeper in the house where You are;  so from Your Holy Spirit I will never be far

in Your house are peace and joy, comfort, healing and forgiveness abound –   death and despair are banished forever, as Your praises continually sound

yes, make me a doorkeeper and that’s what I’ll be;  serving in Your presence for eternity

“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”  (Psalm 84:10)

“Blessed is the man who listens to Me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.  For whoever finds Me finds life and receives favor from the Lord.”  (Proverbs 8:34-35)

“He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”  (Psalm 91:4)

” . . . but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”  (Psalm 34:10)

sincerely,    Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

roundabouts, detours and other disturbing distractions; if this isn’t a metaphor for life, I don’t know what is.  It seems lately every where I go I encounter a road block and am rerouted on a detour; a detour that takes me where I have never been before, where I never intended to go, where I do not want to go and where I inevitably end up lost and late for whatever it is that brought me out in the first place.

Now, although this is an all too fitting metaphor for my life, I am speaking of a literal reality in my life at this present time.  This reality is shared by all who live in my city because a short section of one of our major highways has been closed in both directions so that road repairs can be done.  It may be a small section of interstate, but it is one that everyone uses to get to, through or around our city. This particular well traveled road seems to connect many people to many places. So now we are all faced with the challenge of finding new ways to get to our old places.

I have not found this to be an easy task.  I am comfortable with my familiar routes. Now I have to venture into the unknown (along with everyone else although I’m thinking they have the advantage of GPS systems, which I don’t) Nevertheless, these closed roads stand between me and my desired destinations.

You would think by now I’d be a pro at dealing with closed roads and life’s detours, I’ve faced enough of them over the years, as most of us have.  We all encounter roadblocks from time to time.  (or in some cases, life seems to be one roadblock after another)  It’s how we deal with the detours those roadblocks demand of us that makes all the difference.

I usually get lost when a closed road forces me to detour.  I end up in unfamiliar territory.  The plan I started out with now no longer works.  I often end up asking for directions. (sometimes more than once)  I also discover people and places that I never would have otherwise, except for the detested detour. Sometimes I discover a better way than what I had chosen for myself and been denied access to.  (yes, the literal and the metaphorical merge at every intersection of experience here!)

When I am lost I remember “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”  (Job 23:10)

When I am discouraged by all the detours I must travel, I recall:

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”(Proverbs 19:21)

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”  (Proverbs 16:9)

I am not off course after all, but right where God has planned for me to be.  (not where I planned but where God purposed for me)

When it is too dark for me to see clearly:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”  (Psalm 119:105)

When the detour seems never ending:

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.  I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”  (Psalm 27:14 & Psalm 40:1-3)

When the detour terrifies me:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  (Psalm 23:4)

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

When the detour is too difficult:

” I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”  (Philippians 4:13)

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:19)

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”  (Romans 8:35 & 37)

The detours in my physical and my spiritual life are frequent rather than few and far between.  But I can rest in the sure knowledge that my Heavenly Father is with me in my detours (which aren’t detours at all to Him)  and He will deliver me from or see me safely through to the other side of each one.  I am not lost, I am not off His path, I am not alone!  It is God’s purposes that are prevailing as He orders my steps through each and every detour.

“The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever — do not abandon the works of Your hands.”  (Psalm 138:8)

“being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 1:6)

sincerely,     Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

many miracles amid the not so mundane came together; they came together as we watched, wishing to witness a miracle — we waited, we held our breath (while they swam underwater through dark, tight channels) we prayed for a miracle times thirteen and the miracle came to pass with the rescue of the twelve soccer players and their coach. Against all odds, against all current circumstances to the contrary, the thirteen were brought out of the cave alive.  I was captivated along with the rest of the world, as we watched and waited for each new development to unfold.  These boys; our sons, our brothers, our nephews, our neighbors; we all held them in our hearts as we watched their story play out before us.

and the story is not over by any means, the boys are in a hospital recovering from their time in the darkness of the cave, while the world exhales in relief and celebrates the many miracles that had to happen in order to make this rescue mission a success.  The news used the phrase “from mission impossible to mission accomplished.”  Will we ever know all the untold stories that went on behind the scenes while we watched from the outside looking in?

Members of the rescue team were asked, “science or a miracle?”  But the two are not mutually exclusive.  Science over the centuries has always shown us the many miracles inherent in creation, just waiting for us to discover them so that we might learn what they reveal about our Creator.  The story of this miraculous rescue is made up of many miracles, each contributing to the final outcome of a successful rescue from the cave.

The first of many miracles occurred when British divers found the thirteen alive in the flooded cave nine days after they had gone missing.  Their search had come to a happy end in finding the soccer players and their coach alive after nine days, but the end of the search was the beginning of the rescue mission which followed. One miracle was not enough, many more would be needed in the days to come.

So the world continued to wait and to watch; and while the world was watching, engineers, divers, doctors, and many other rescue workers from multiple countries, worked round the clock and against the clock, as oxygen in the cave ran low and the monsoon rains approached.  It was a miracle the boys were found, it was a miracle they were all still alive, it would take a miracle to get them all out in time.  The clock was ticking, the rains were coming.

People from many countries came together, worked together, to accomplish the tasks that needed to happen in order to get everyone out of that cave successfully. Each person brought a different skill set to the table, each one needed in order for the rescue mission to have a good outcome.  We were witnessing God’s mercy and love in action even if we did not recognize it at the time or call it what it was.

Because a miracle by any other name is still a miracle.  Calling it coincidence does not explain away what is inexplicable through human effort and circumstances alone.  “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ ”  (Matthew 19:26)

The conditions in the cave presented the divers and other rescue personnel working in the cave to reroute the water and widen the escape route, with impossible obstacles;  “but with God . . . ”    and so we held our breath, prayed, watched and waited . . .   until the miracle was complete

and if we still weren’t convinced of the miracle we had just witnessed, what happened next should leave no doubt.  Within an hour of the last four boys and their coach being evacuated from the cave, the main water pump, which had been pumping millions of gallons of water for days in order to decrease the water levels in the cave, FAILED and the cave began flooding immediately.  Some Thai navy members and support teams, who were still in there, clearing out the cave, barely made it out in time, leaving behind some three-hundred oxygen tanks.

I’m certain in that moment when the pump stopped working, those involved in the rescue realized all too clearly what the outcome would have been if they hadn’t been able to evacuate everyone when they did.  Yet another evidence of God’s miraculous, undeserved mercy toward us all.

There is a book in the Bible, Esther, that tells a story but never mentions God by name at all.  Yet God is the main character of that story.  God is behind the scenes in Esther’s story, orchestrating all the events that take place, for the protection and the good of His people.  God is not absent, nor is He silent.

God is also the main character of our current cave rescue story, even though He is never mentioned by name.  While we were watching the story of the soccer players in the flooded cave unfold, we were watching simultaneously our Heavenly Father at work in every detail of the rescue operation.  He was present in the thousands of details that had to come together at the right time in the right way for the rescue effort to be successful. Truly, we were witness to a miracle story; a story comprised of miracle after miracle (not coincidence after coincidence) from beginning to end.

“Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Where can I flee from Your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, You are there;  if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.  If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.”   (Psalm 139:7-12)

“Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.”  (Micah 7:8b)

yes, even in the darkness of a flooded cave . . .  God is there

sincerely,       Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know gravity is important and all but I’ve been thinking that at this stage of my life I could do with a little less gravity.  I could do with more of a “lift” than of a pulling down or of a holding in place.  (actually holding in place would be just fine, it’s the pulling parts down that becomes a problem)  And gravity doesn’t discriminate at all!  Gravity pulls everything down in equal measure.  I wouldn’t mind one bit if gravity discriminated against me, just a little, passing me by, ignoring me, giving me the cold shoulder.

But gravity is no respecter of persons and she even goes out of her way to work in opposition to any fitness training I might attempt, cancelling out any result I might hope to achieve.  So is it gravity holding me together?  If so, she is falling down on the job, so to speak  (pun intended)

But Acts 17:28 tells me, “For in Him we live and move and have our being.”  And Colossians 1:17 lets me know, “He (Christ) is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

My Heavenly Father is holding me, holding me together, holding everything and everyone around me together.  Gravity may be keeping my feet on the ground (guess I should be grateful even though in order to accomplish that she’s pulling other parts of me down as well) but gravity doesn’t keep my spirit from soaring free, free of her pull, free of the weight of the world.

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  (Isaiah 40:31)

sincerely,     Grace Day

 

 

the quest continues . . .   so treasure isn’t found at my garage sale — but where? where do we look?  where will we find it?  well, that’s the thing, we search in all kinds of places and in all kinds of ways.  But until we know what treasure truly is, how will we recognize it when we finally encounter it?  thing is, we attempt to define treasure for ourselves, using maybe one of three standards: what is of value to us or what is of value to others or what the current market tell us is of value.

But maybe the measure of a treasure is found in what we are willing to sacrifice for it?   consider —

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field where a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”  (Matthew 13:44-46)

So treasure, when we find it, is worth giving up all we possess, if that’s what it takes, in order to lay hold of the treasure.  Paul says in Philippians 3:7-9, “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, . . . ”

There is a story told, however, in three of the gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, of a rich young ruler who did not share Paul’s perspective on the value of the treasure of knowing and belonging to Jesus Christ.  We read about him in Mark 10:17-22;  “As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up to Him and fell on his knees before Him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’  . . . Jesus looked at him and loved him.  ‘One thing you lack,’ He said.  ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.’  At this the man’s face fell.  He went away sad, because he had great wealth.”

He wasn’t willing to pay the price to purchase the treasure.  We are all on a treasure hunt, whether we admit to it or not.  We are all in search of something, eternal life, like the rich young ruler, or if not, maybe just meaning and purpose in this life now.  Either way, when we find the treasure, (assuming we recognize it when we encounter it) like the man in the field or the merchant looking for pearls, a decision must be made, an action must be taken.  Both of these men acted swiftly and decisively when they encountered their treasures.

Are we willing to do the same?  What is worth the sacrifice?  What is “the pearl of great price” to you, dear reader?  “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”  (John 15:13)  The world just witnessed this selfless act as a rescue diver gave his life attempting to save the lives of the thirteen trapped in the Thailand cave.  Jesus said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:35)

The ultimate sacrifice, Jesus on the cross for me and for you, for each and everyone.  Jesus paid our price so that we could receive the treasure for free.  “And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.”  (Romans 8:11)  that’s the treasure in jars of clay (us), remember?  Paul considered everything else rubbish, compared to the treasure of knowing Jesus.

Jesus did not ask of the rich young ruler anything that our Heavenly Father has not already done for us.  consider this, ” . . . If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all — how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”  (Romans 8:31-32)

My treasure hunt has long since ended, the treasure that I sought, that I longed for,  I now carry within me.  “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body , I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  (Galatians 2:20)

sincerely,     Grace Day

 

arises out of yesterday’s post, “an observation”, which begs the question; have I been treasuring my trash?  have I been treating my junk as if it were treasure? and worse yet, have I treated my true treasures as if they were trash?  have I taken care of my possessions and not cared for my people, the people in my life? (okay, so this is more than one query but inquiring minds need to actually inquire from time to time, and the time has come)

so it has come to this, has it?  I treasure my trash and trash my treasure?  no wonder I was asking myself this very question only a few days ago as I put my “items” out for the neighborhood yard sale, “treasure or trash?”  Do I even know the difference?  Maybe I should learn to tell the difference, establish some criteria.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  (2 Corinthians 4:18)

okay, that’s pretty clear, eternal trumps temporal every time.  what else?  “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”  (Colossians 2:2-3)

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”  (2 Corinthians 4:7)    I am/we are the jars of clay in this scenario with the treasure being Christ Himself in the Holy Spirit,  “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”  (Colossians 1:27)

so,  the treasures are in Christ and Christ is in me, (and you)  I am already rich beyond measure!  (and so are you, dear readers)  thank you Heavenly Father,

sincerely,     Grace Day

I stand corrected;  apparently one woman’s junk is sometimes just that:  one woman’s junk and not anyone else’s treasure.  this reality was revealed to me as a result of yesterday’s garage sale; where based on sales, or more accurately the lack of sales, I was forced to conclude that my junk is actually, really, truly just that — junk.  I’ve been fooling myself, but no one else was fooled.  or maybe shoppers are searching for a different kind of treasure nowadays?  treasure that doesn’t require them to build bigger barns or to acquire more storage units. maybe shoppers are starting to store their treasures in heaven (see previous post for full disclosure) so they have no need of my “stuff”.

“Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.  She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare  with her.”  (Isaiah 3:13-15)

sincerely,         Grace Day

 

this is the question I asked myself this morning as I put various items out in my driveway along with my neighbors.  Yes, this is the question and we are all searching for the answer as we deal daily with our overabundance, which we fondly call our clutter.  We get quite creative in dealing with our treasure/trash problem, we build bigger barns, so to speak.  Only we don’t call them barns, we call them storage units and we pay money monthly for them.  Or we call them sheds and put them in our backyards.  (I guess shed sounds so much smaller than barn, so we don’t have to admit the extent of our clutter.  I hear there is even a “she shed” now.  I didn’t know clutter had a gender?)  We buy closet organizers and we hire professional closet organizer people, who make their living organizing our stuff for us.

The age old saying “one man’s (woman’s) junk is another man’s (woman’s) treasure must be true because it has spawned and it sustains an entire pastime/ industry known as the garage sale or yard sale.  There are those who have such sales and there are those of us who spend our leisure time searching for and going to such sales in our never ending quest for that undiscovered treasure which awaits us or for that bargain of a lifetime to be had by simply using our superior bartering skills.

Treasure hunters and bargain seekers alike share the challenge of the quest as they go from garage sale to garage sale.  There seems to be a never ending supply of “clutter” in our lives, so the garage sale industry continues to thrive.  One person’s cast off is another person’s coveted keepsake and so the cycle continues. In other countries bartering is a part of the shopping experience. Here garage sales provide us with the opportunity to barter, something denied us by our own American retail system.

We even classify our clutter, maybe in an effort to bring order into the chaos?  We often call our clutter “collectibles”, thereby assigning value to our things and providing a rationale for our intentionality in continuing to collect various things. These “collectibles” can be anything we decide is worth collecting; coins, stamps, figurines, books, beanie babies, Barbies, model cars, real cars —  if it exists, we can collect it.  Caring for our collectibles can keep us busy; as our collectibles began their job of “collecting” dust, we began our job of keeping them clean.

So trash or treasure?  how do I decide?  something that has great value to me might be worthless in another’s estimation.  Some items are attached to a favorite memory I have.  Some things are my connection to a person who is no longer with me.  These things are what I have left of them, making me unwilling to part with anything that connects me to my past.  As my past increases, so does my clutter.  I accumulate things along the way.  This rolling stone does gather moss (or in this case stuff, whether trash or treasure, as yet to be determined)  So what is my response? Do I build a bigger barn?

That is exactly what a certain rich man in one of Jesus’ parables did.  “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do.  I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.’  And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.  Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ ”   (Luke 12:18-19)  But according to the parable, that very night the man’s life was taken from him.  Which begs the question posed in Mark 8:36, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?  Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

So maybe bigger barns (or storage units) aren’t the answer after all?  But what is? I found some good advice in Matthew 6:25, 32-34.  “Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? . . .  and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

The ultimate solution to my accumulated treasure/trash problem I find in Matthew 6:19, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I sure hate to think of my heart abiding in a storage unit, a backyard shed, a basement, an attic, a closet, a bank vault, a stock portfolio or a shopping mall; held captive by my own greed or my own fear of being without.  I want my heart to be soaring free, held securely in my Heavenly Father’s hands.  (yes, both those things can occur simultaneously, they are not mutually exclusive as a literal interpretation of the words would suggest)

Belongings can become a burden, but clearing the clutter from my house and from my heart sets me free to live and to serve, unencumbered by those things that would weigh me down and hold me back.  With my trash gone and my treasure moved to heaven, I am free to run life’s race.

” . . .  let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith . . . ”

sincerely,      Grace Day