"Knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven."~ Heb 10:34c (NKJV)
I constantly struggle to accept with joy the various negative circumstances that harass my life. For instance, a few years ago we bought a tiny, old brick house built way back in 1971, a 700 sq. ft. fixer-upper. The once dark, paneled walls now stood faded and blotchy. Fiber tile in the suspended ceiling dripped with orange grease, cigarette smoke and age. Old yellowed, metal office blinds covered the few windows. Even after I cleaned the scarred, dry-rotting linoleum kitchen floor it still looked dirty. An outdoor laundry room exposed me to the tropical heat and rains. Permanent pocks marred the reflective film on the windows. This house desperately required a “facelift.”
As the seasons blended from one to another, I finally got sick of listening to myself complain. I realized that I needed to “lift my face” to Heaven with a smile of gratitude instead of a frown of criticism. I thought about the many homeless people who had no dwelling at all. At least, I had a secure residence in which to live. From then on I started focusing on the good qualities about this home. I referred to it as our miniature, antique cottage. I praised God for a dry roof, no termites and carpeting on the concrete floor. True to form, once I changed my attitude, then God miraculously started providing what we needed to remodel.
PRAYER:
Lord, help me to focus on meeting the needs of those less fortunate than I am, and to remember that Heaven is our true home.THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Allow patience to produce her perfect work.
