With nary a brain cell in full function mode, I convinced my strapping 19 year-old son to pitch in and help. Under great protest, he reluctantly ambled toward our suddenly large looking furniture. We struggled (well, I struggled) to carefully move heavy, dusty furniture across berber carpeting. I gasped when our brown, leather recliner revealed no less than four inches of accumulated pet hair and dust beneath it. Disgusting.
An hour and many aching muscles and sneezes later, our once cozy family room more resembled an akward, clunky disaster than the fresh, new look for which I'd hoped.
"Well, we're just going to have to put everything back." I said matter of factly, hands on my hips. Sometimes things just don't turn out the way we'd expect - or like.
Josh groaned. "That's code for I have to move all this stuff again."
His tone of voice tickled me, and I bent over in a deep belly laugh. Josh grinned. Spurred on by his quirky, resigned statement, we laughed for a solid 5 minutes.
After a crazy vacuuming session, the room was essentially spring cleaned...no more gunk beneath the sofa and chairs. Another muscle and sneeze fest and our furniture resumed its original position. I should have felt let down; yet even though the furniture layout had not changed, I felt oddly satisfied.
Do you feel like you're getting nowhere fast--as though your efforts are futile at best?
Sometimes everything we've labored for appears unsuccesful. At time it's tempting to believe that we're right back at square one. But God is dealing with hidden accumulation, sweeping the dark, unseen places. And even though it seems as though nothing at all has changed, He is removing layers of debris that we didn't even realize existed. Although things might look the same, God is at work. It's up to us to choose to trust Him. Even when our furniture winds up right where it started.
10 comments:
Julie - I loved this post. I've been "less inspired" than usual lately, and I started praying today that God would light a fire in me again! Your post has shed a different light on my feelings. Maybe I've just been going through a "spring cleaning." :-)
A really good Word, Julie.
Melanie@Bella~Mella
"Although things might look the same, God is at work. It's up to us to choose to trust Him."
Choosing to trust,
Joy
This is good and oh so true. Some changes are on the inside and it takes some time before you can see them. Thank you Lord.
He has moved my furniture on many occasion...for the dusting and for the rearranging and then back again. Sometimes is doesn't make much sense to me, nor does it feel good at the time, but I know that He has my best in his mind.
Glad you're home again. We missed you.
peace~elaine
Hi Julie,
I get those same "brilliant" ideas when everyone is tired. My children try to talk me out of it...but I want to press on in my creative frenzy. Your son sounds very patient. Thanks for sharing.
Pamela
Julie,
So good to have you back. I've been awaiting your return.
This is the season for spring cleaning isn't it. I've found myself doing the same kinds of crazy house organizing/cleaning.
I'm thinking...even if your furniture returns to its original places, your room is cleaner and tended to. SOmetimes we don't need a radical change, we need to revisit what we have, appreciate it and tend to it.
Blessings and prayers!
Kelli
Love how you related this furniture moving experience to God in our lives. That made my night. Thanks.
I really needed this today Julie. I wouldn't tell many that, but thank you for this. I feel like, oh never mind, just thanks. I need to talk to God instead. Love ya friend!
This is a great post!
God sometimes moves my "furniture" around, and much to my chagrin. I don't like seeing all the dirt and dust that has accumulated because of my lack of attention.
But I've read somewhere that scientists have analyzed those little dustballs that we see everywhere. Turns out their makeup is not unlike the building blocks of stars.
I like that.
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