Like so much of the world, including those of you who regularly read my blog posts, my family and I continue to practice social distancing during the present COVID-19 emergency, only leaving the house on occasion for necessities.
Of course, as so many are aware of by now, this business of imposed isolation has been a two edged sword. To begin with, a lot of us welcomed the opportunity just to rest for a day or so. But that soon gets old. Thereafter, we quickly got busy and began the process of fixing up our home. In short order, the grass was mowed, the flower beds were mulched, the gutters were cleaned. Every light bulb in the house is now working, as are all the appliances, etc…
All of my neighbors in the subdivision have all been similarly busy. As a trip through our neighborhood soon reveals, from the first house to the last one on the street, home after home is now in tip-top shape. And apparently, we are not alone. From what I read online, homeowners all across America are doing pretty much the same.
So much so that, while the economy as a whole has been adversely affected by the current pandemic, the home repair and improvement sector is currently flourishing!
Of course, for my wife and me, the social isolation has also given us plenty of time to continue the laborious process of sorting through and packing up our belongings as we prepare for our impending move.
One fails to realize just what all he or she accumulates after a lifetime filed with making a living, raising a family, and just living life. Nor does one appreciate in what volume much of what he or she accumulates such items. In this regard, these last few weeks have been such an eye opener for my wife and me.
To be sure, most preachers accumulate a fairly large library. I am no different here. But we forget about the various other accoutrements of the trade. For instance, no less than a dozen suits were found hanging in my closet, along with over a hundred ties, multiple pairs of dress shoes, and even three formal overcoats.
Add to this the trappings associated with having been together for forty years and having raised three children. Going through our closets and our attic has been akin to undertaking an archaeological dig, and unearthing treasured artifacts from days long past.
Picture albums, VHS tapes, CDs, and DVDs have all opened up the world of yesterday in glorious detail. As have (grade, middle, and high) school records, sports memorabilia, and military records, when each in turn has come to light.
All of this leads me to my point. Moving is never fun. I sincerely hope this is the last time my wife and I will ever move in this world. I hope that our retirement home is where we will spend the rest of our days together. Nonetheless, what I had dreaded for so long has actually turned out to be one of the greatest blessings I have experienced in quite some time! This infernal process of moving, while full of incessant and, at times, intense labor, has also given me several moments of great joy and happiness.
It is as if the Lord knows just when I need a little pick-me-up. At those very moments when I have found myself the weariest, and when I have wondered just how much longer this process will take, the Lord has seen fit to provide me yet another little gem from some point in my family’s past.
Today, it was the re-discovery of our daughter’s sixth grade science fair project titled “Tea Time!”, wherein she had brewed up after pitcher of three major brands of tea (Lipton, Luzianne, and Tetley), and then blind taste-tested much of our family, friends, and neighbors to see which was preferred. We drank leftover tea for weeks! I laughed and teared up a bit as I spent a moment reliving the project we had all undertaken as a family so long ago!
I am thankful for these little moments, fleeting as they are. They give me the encouragement I need to press on. And I find myself looking forward to the next one, unsure when it might occur, but certain that it will come.
Perhaps there is a small lesson about life in all of this. Maybe this is just a reminder of how the Lord works in the lives of His children. As we move through this life, are we not simply heading toward some ultimate destination, some final dwelling place called Heaven?
Along the way, do we not go spend much of our time undertaking the daily drudgery of laborious, but necessary tasks? And do we not grow weary, and sometimes even discouraged, as we do?
Yet our Heavenly Father knows our needs; and does not hesitate to meet them. I am reminded of the words that the Apostle Paul shared with the Christians at Philippi (in chapter 4, verse 19 of his New Testament Letter to them): “God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus.”
With each passing day, my wife and I get a little closer to the final place we plan to dwell. Each day, as we do, we work a little more, and accomplish a little more. Along the way, God faithfully sends us just the right little blessing at just the right time. And each little blessing in turn provides just the right amount of encouragement to stay the course and complete the task.
For this reason, I now find myself looking forward not only to our ultimate destination, but to each new day and each new blessing along the way. I wish the same for you.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/philippians/4-19.htm.
Of course, as so many are aware of by now, this business of imposed isolation has been a two edged sword. To begin with, a lot of us welcomed the opportunity just to rest for a day or so. But that soon gets old. Thereafter, we quickly got busy and began the process of fixing up our home. In short order, the grass was mowed, the flower beds were mulched, the gutters were cleaned. Every light bulb in the house is now working, as are all the appliances, etc…
All of my neighbors in the subdivision have all been similarly busy. As a trip through our neighborhood soon reveals, from the first house to the last one on the street, home after home is now in tip-top shape. And apparently, we are not alone. From what I read online, homeowners all across America are doing pretty much the same.
So much so that, while the economy as a whole has been adversely affected by the current pandemic, the home repair and improvement sector is currently flourishing!
Of course, for my wife and me, the social isolation has also given us plenty of time to continue the laborious process of sorting through and packing up our belongings as we prepare for our impending move.
One fails to realize just what all he or she accumulates after a lifetime filed with making a living, raising a family, and just living life. Nor does one appreciate in what volume much of what he or she accumulates such items. In this regard, these last few weeks have been such an eye opener for my wife and me.
To be sure, most preachers accumulate a fairly large library. I am no different here. But we forget about the various other accoutrements of the trade. For instance, no less than a dozen suits were found hanging in my closet, along with over a hundred ties, multiple pairs of dress shoes, and even three formal overcoats.
Add to this the trappings associated with having been together for forty years and having raised three children. Going through our closets and our attic has been akin to undertaking an archaeological dig, and unearthing treasured artifacts from days long past.
Picture albums, VHS tapes, CDs, and DVDs have all opened up the world of yesterday in glorious detail. As have (grade, middle, and high) school records, sports memorabilia, and military records, when each in turn has come to light.
All of this leads me to my point. Moving is never fun. I sincerely hope this is the last time my wife and I will ever move in this world. I hope that our retirement home is where we will spend the rest of our days together. Nonetheless, what I had dreaded for so long has actually turned out to be one of the greatest blessings I have experienced in quite some time! This infernal process of moving, while full of incessant and, at times, intense labor, has also given me several moments of great joy and happiness.
It is as if the Lord knows just when I need a little pick-me-up. At those very moments when I have found myself the weariest, and when I have wondered just how much longer this process will take, the Lord has seen fit to provide me yet another little gem from some point in my family’s past.
Today, it was the re-discovery of our daughter’s sixth grade science fair project titled “Tea Time!”, wherein she had brewed up after pitcher of three major brands of tea (Lipton, Luzianne, and Tetley), and then blind taste-tested much of our family, friends, and neighbors to see which was preferred. We drank leftover tea for weeks! I laughed and teared up a bit as I spent a moment reliving the project we had all undertaken as a family so long ago!
I am thankful for these little moments, fleeting as they are. They give me the encouragement I need to press on. And I find myself looking forward to the next one, unsure when it might occur, but certain that it will come.
Perhaps there is a small lesson about life in all of this. Maybe this is just a reminder of how the Lord works in the lives of His children. As we move through this life, are we not simply heading toward some ultimate destination, some final dwelling place called Heaven?
Along the way, do we not go spend much of our time undertaking the daily drudgery of laborious, but necessary tasks? And do we not grow weary, and sometimes even discouraged, as we do?
Yet our Heavenly Father knows our needs; and does not hesitate to meet them. I am reminded of the words that the Apostle Paul shared with the Christians at Philippi (in chapter 4, verse 19 of his New Testament Letter to them): “God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus.”
With each passing day, my wife and I get a little closer to the final place we plan to dwell. Each day, as we do, we work a little more, and accomplish a little more. Along the way, God faithfully sends us just the right little blessing at just the right time. And each little blessing in turn provides just the right amount of encouragement to stay the course and complete the task.
For this reason, I now find myself looking forward not only to our ultimate destination, but to each new day and each new blessing along the way. I wish the same for you.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/philippians/4-19.htm.