Lately, random thoughts seem to be the order of the day with me. Yesterday, I went from decking my porch to chuckling over God's sense of humor challenging my comfort zone. Thus, posing the question, "what spirit possessed me to operate out of my normal fare?" Well, a well-addressed question stems from a well-covered background. And so, here's my story...
My poor, small-framed porch, which consists of a paint-chipped wooden folding chair and millions of scaly-looking paint chips all over water-logged and worn wooden slats. Quite frankly, my "stoop" is a wannabe porch looking for attention. It tries so hard to be the best at what it is. It supports the grocery bags we transport from the car. It supports the weight of the guests who knock on our door. It supports our family's comings and goings. You might not want to linger on it for long periods of time, but eye sore and all, it holds up fulfilling its purpose.
And so, I couldn't help but chuckle as I stood back and marveled "my" handiwork. God uses us all, right? Whether battle weary or warrior ready, our purposes are well crafted in the hands of God. You see, in my deck the porch with decorations moment, God was singing "fa-lalalala-lalalala!" over my random absurdity to think my well-placed swags, lights and wreaths would somehow transform this worthless-looking landing. Our porch has purpose. And like so many others who may not look the part or fit the bill in the eyes of the world, they still serve a beautiful purpose in the body of Christ. They volunteer wholeheartedly. They serve insightfully. They donate sacrificially. They intercede faithfully. They exhort passionately. They challenge strongly. They listen dutifully. They choose with no regret to become pliable in the Lord's hands. Simply, their beauty comes from within and no outward adornment will ever define their true intent. If that weren't enough for God to get his point across, He reminded me of David's humble ascension...
When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord." But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." -- 1 Samuel 16:6, 7
In the eyes of his strapping siblings, David may have been good enough to tend the family's herd of sheep, but God anointed this shepherd to tend to His chosen nation.
Ah, "my" handiwork, how absurd of me! From decking the porch with decorations, I thank You, God for Your willingness to see the beauty and purpose within us all regardless of our outward adornment. May we always serve You well.
Enjoy the holidays, my dear sweet readers!
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