Times of Rebuilding and Refreshing

I think that many of us, when Christ has enabled us to overcome one or two sins that were an obvious nuisance are inclined to feel (though we do not put it into words) that we are now good enough. He has done all we wanted him to do, and we should be obliged if He would leave us alone.

But the question is not what we intended ourselves to be, but what He intended us to be when He made us...

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of — throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.

C.S. Lewis from Mere Christianity

Well you could knock me over with a feather after I read that passage!

Psalm 127:1 - "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it:
Except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

Praying that I will learn to welcome this tearing down, rebuilding process.

And today I am thankful for "times of refreshing".
You can tell by my lack of posts that June and July have been very hard months in our home. The work is not yet done, but I can see the light. These weeks have been wearing on me physically and spiritually, but this morning was a gift. I awoke after a good night of sleep and had over an HOUR of quiet time before anyone else got up! Checking my e-mail, I had a happy answer to several days of earnest prayer on behalf of a friend. I savored the morning, my coffee, and the thick-sliced bacon we ate for breakfast with our eggs and toast. I had some quiet time for reading, meditation, and prayer and even dozed on the couch just a little bit longer while I waited for someone else to wake up. I may have some hard work still ahead, but I tackle it with renewed energy and spiritual strength. Thanks be to God!